The Five Regions
by Kira Dattei
Summary: AU In the land of the Five Regions where special powers are commonplace, Yuichi is learning to control his powers as an Empowered. Another student named Wataru appears one day and gains his interest and he gets drawn into events that will change the lives of everyone in the land. Yuichi/Wataru Chapter 5: Anchor Point
1. Prologue

Story: The Five Regions  
Author: Kira Dattei  
Chapter: Prologue/15ish  
Word Count: 2,837  
Rating: T.  
Summary: AU – In a world where a majority of the population is born with special abilities, peace has only just been found between the Gifted and the Empowered thanks to the Enlightened Nobunaga family. Yuichi Kazuki, a highly skilled Empowered, is nearing the completion of his training and getting ready to go into the world as a Guardian of the people when his world is changed forever by the appearance of a new trainee by the name of Wataru Fujii. He reaches out to this person, never expecting that his life would take on an entirely new course once he learns Wataru's secret…  
A/N: Only the Ring Finger Knows was one of the first yaoi manga I read and I loved it right from the beginning. I think the characters are beautifully developed and it is really refreshing to see such a layered relationship as the one between Yuichi and Wataru. I hope I can capture just a piece of that in what I write and I'm trying my best to hold true to the core of the characters while completely changing everything else around them. I encourage constructive criticism and feedback as I have had a tendency in the past to lose focus of where I've been with a story and I'm working hard not to do that here by regularly rereading previous chapters. If you feel like something is missing or are confused by something, let me know and I will do my best to fix it if it wasn't intentional.  
This chapter has been edited slightly from what was originally posted. Nothing that changes the story so much as just puts a little bit more depth to some important factors of the story line.  
And without any further ado…

* * *

Prologue: Empowered, Gifted, and Enlightened

Where there is power, dispute follows close behind until balance is found.

In the land known as the Mineral Valley, the dispute between the Gifted and the Empowered has been raging for centuries. The Gifted held power over the world around them, using a variety of methods to channel their energy to affect what they could. The abilities of the Empowered were focused inward, and affects were restricted to the person making most of them able to become inhuman. The different nature of the two forms of power is what started the dispute. There was a quick escalation to war, which resulted in nothing but loss of life; despite the differences between the kinds of power, they complimented each other on a fundamental level. The war continued without any headway being made on either side, the only difference in the land being the Gifted gathering in the southern half of the land to be close to the mountains and elements they could use for protection while the Empowered moved north to utilize the forests and plains to help protect themselves.

This is how life continued in the Valley for the next few hundred years with no indication that anything would change.

But change did happen and it came in the form of a man named Noal Nobunaga and his wife Terrah. Their arrival brought something to the Valley that the inhabitants had never before been exposed to: power other than that of the Gifted or Empowered. The power of the Nobunagas was termed Enlightened and their abilities were not restricted to the person or environment, but rather seemed to be without limit. It was unknown where exactly the Enlightened came from and even if there were any more than the pair that worked their way through the land. The two dedicated their lives to working between the two populations of the Valley and mediate to the point where a peace was established between the different populations.

The decision to honor the Nobunaga's was unanimous and their place as King and Queen of the Valley was implemented before the two could resist the action. Their hesitation in being given the position didn't affect how they ruled though: once they were responsible for the people, they worked tirelessly to help the Valley become a land of peace and unity despite the differences between the people within it.

Recognizing that the people needed to have some maintenance of separation – and the Valley was simply too big to monitor on his own – Noal quickly decided to transform the Mineral Valley into different regions, each with its own representative and acting leader who reported directly to the King. He built up a stronghold in the very center of the land and the area around it became known as the Central Diamond Region. The northern region, whose population continued to primarily consist of Empowered people, was named the Crystal Region while the southern region and its Gifted population was called the Emerald Region. With the Diamond Region breaking up the lands heavily populated by a specific people, the remaining land to the east and west – which had been populated by the minority of people who were born without powers during the years of dispute – then became lands known for a mixed population. The western area became the Ruby Region and the eastern area was called the Jade Region. They also became home to training facilities organized by the King to give all people with powers the chance to learn how to best utilize their abilities and receive a fair education. This helped to ensure that the populations mixed even for those who lived in the Crystal and Emerald Regions. The training facilities were an unbelievable success and their creation did nothing but solidify the Nobunaga's in their position of authority over the Five Regions.

The Nobunagas also brought to the people knowledge and understanding of their powers they had never had the opportunity or means to discover on their own. They revealed to them that all their power came from what the Enlightened called "cores" and it was what made a person capable of the abilities they possessed. They were as vital to the individual as the mind or the heart and while every single one was unique, each was limited by its origin and that is what determined the person to be Gifted or Empowered or even Enlightened.

It was the capability to manipulate their cores that had given the Enlightened their title and had proven to the people that they had common ground to build an alliance from.

Along with passing on the knowledge of the existence of cores, the Enlightened introduced the prospect of Bonding. It was the ultimate declaration of commitment between two people where a connection was created between their cores. This connection – while volatile at first – became something of a lifeline between the two people. Because those who Bonded usually did so because there was a natural connection between them to begin with, the Bond itself was treated with the utmost respect and interfering with the development of a Bond was not tolerated. This value of the Bond began with the Nobunagas – for all could see the relationship between Noal and Terrah – and spread through the Regions alongside the knowledge of the cores. Bonding became important to the people.

Over the next fifteen years, the land learned how to live as a united people and the nature of power faded to a secondary factor in their interactions. During this time, Queen Terrah birthed six children – four sons and two daughters – until her life was claimed during the labor of the youngest child. The land grieved the loss deeply, after all the Enlightened had been an ageless strength within the land and to lose one of them to something so…ordinary was difficult to accept. Just as the people were reaching a critical point of doubt and vulnerability, King Noal announced that all of his children were granted Enlightened powers and the older ones were already being raised as leaders of the land. This announcement brought about the relief he was going for – six more Enlightened had to be more than enough to cover the loss of the Queen. So the children of Noal Nobunaga – Kieran, Nira, Rohn, Kale, Lain, and Aran – became as revered as their parents and grew to care deeply about the land they lived in and the people within it.

Life goes on…

* * *

**Diamond Region Royal Palace**

Noal Nobunaga sighed heavily as he stretched back in his chair, trying to counter the many hours he'd spent hovering over reports from the last week. As the tension released from his body, he decided to relax his protective appearance as well. He closed his eyes and muttered "Kalen Fujii" to the empty room. His power reacted immediately to the command and the air surrounding him relaxed as the Illusory Barrier dissipated to reveal his true appearance. The stocky build didn't change as he had been raised as a warrior, but the once fairer skin darkened to a healthy bronze with light brown hair and eyes to match. With his true identity revealed, he was capable of relaxing even more.

Feeling more able to actually focus on the task, Kalen turned back to the reports. There had been a sudden increase in disputes between the Gifted and the Empowered that didn't fit with the cooperation – peace – that had been reigning over the past thirty years. The only cause he could think of for the difference was in the announcement that his sons would be taking charge of the outer regions. Even that seemed like a long shot though; he'd made sure to check with Kohaku and Ryoku – his eldest sons who were much more skilled at Looking through time than he was – and neither had reported these problems.

Then again, male Enlightened had never really been particularly skilled at Precognition. There was just something about the nature of the skill that worked better for women. His wife, Rei, had not only been very good at finding exactly what he needed to know in time, she had also managed to impart a great deal of this skill upon their first three children before she had died. After her death, Kalen had severely restricted all his children in the use of the ability. In fact, this was the first time in nearly ten years he'd even mentioned using the power in making a decision.

But Kohaku and Ryoku had reported that there wouldn't be severe adverse reactions to the announcement. A few isolated incidents across the regions was one thing – an everyday occurrence in fact – but outright violence against the Guardian patrols and Royal Defenders was something that had never surfaced before. That was something Kalen considered to be the beginnings of a severe adverse reaction.

A knock on his door pulled him from the line of thought and he called the person in, knowing the feel of Shohei Kazuki, the Captain of the Defenders. The man entered with a slight bow to acknowledge his friend's position in the only degree he was allowed. Kalen hated being treated as a king by anyone, let alone by people he cared about.

"Shohei, it was so kind of you to provide me with an excuse to take a break from these frustrating reports. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Kalen said, though he could tell from Shohei's stiff posture that this would not be a pleasant visit.

"Sir, Asaka asked me something I found disturbing," Shohei responded, aware of Kalen's knowledge of his stress. He noticed the King's caramel brown eyes darken at the name of the Defender who was in charge of his children's protection while in their home. "He asked me when I had last seen Wataru." Kalen's demeanor darkened further at the mention of his youngest child, knowing that Shohei was supposed to have daily weapons training with each one of his offspring – he was the only one Kalen trusted to do the job.

"And what was your response?" the tone was dangerously even.

Shohei paused, knowing his answer could very well get him injured, despite his friendship with the man. Anger wasn't a safe emotion for the Enlightened to experience. "I can't say with certainty. I asked other Defenders in Wataru's private guard and they are saying the same thing. I don't know what that means."

"What has been done?"

"I have had the Region searched physically and asked your other children to search through their own means. So far nothing conclusive has been found." Shohei's posture crumpled slightly as he thought over the situation. "Kalen, he's disappeared and I need to know why. You are the only one who may be able to explain. Nobody knows your children's capabilities and actions like you do." Shohei watched as Kalen was able to pull away from his distress and focus on what might give him answers. After a few minutes of deep reflection he looked back to Shohei with resignation.

"I have no idea why he would disappear, though with the strength of his Influence, it wouldn't take too much power and effort. He would only have to suggest to those around him that they didn't need to be concerned with him for some time. The suggestion would force thoughts of him to the back of your mind for as long as he needed. Now that he was brought to your attention, the effects were broken and you realized how long you actually hadn't seen him. I'm going to hazard a guess that he's found a way to disconnect from his siblings long enough to get out of their range."

"What range are we looking at?" The range may give them a timeframe to work from. They may find someone outside of Wataru's Influence who might point them in a reasonably accurate direction.

"He'd have to pass the boundary of a Region." That didn't help figure out a timeframe. With the variety of distance and terrain, that could mean anywhere from just over a day of travel to three. "There are barriers to powers between the Regions that can only be voided by the leader of the Regions."

"But he's been named the Ambassador of the Crystal Region."

"He's been chosen to lead that Region, but he hasn't been initiated into the position. None of them were to be given their position for another month. I'd confidently say that that was his deadline. Accepting that position meant he'd no longer be able to disconnect from his siblings and myself." Kalen paused and seemed to consider something. "Wataru has always had unusual development in his abilities. They are inconsistently emerging and even regressing. This has put his life in danger several times."

This was only partially news to Shohei. He remembered times where nobody was allowed near the boy for days, sometimes weeks, at a time. When it came to an Enlightened there weren't many reasons for secluding them besides power complications. Although, now that it was brought to Shohei's attention, none of the other Nobunaga's had to go through as many periods of seclusion as the one who was currently missing. So what did that mean for the teen to be alone in the general population?

"What do you want me to do, Your Highness?"

Despite knowing that the question was coming and already knowing his response, Kalen couldn't help but hesitate in answering. He knew that his decision was the best course to follow, both from the perspective as a king not placing his own needs above the people and as an Enlightened and having trust in the powers that guided the lives of him and his family. He had to trust that Wataru had made an informed decision. This did not, however, change the fact that his order would hurt him as a parent. "Call off the search. You know Wataru: he's more stubborn than all of my other children combined. If he's set his mind on disappearing, we won't find him." At Shohei's obvious building objection, Kalen continued, "He hides his capabilities very well. He might be better off on his own than with us trying to shape his development. I won't stop believing in him because he made a choice I don't understand."

While they were on the subject, Shohei couldn't understand the King's decision. His thoughts naturally drifted to his family. If his brother suddenly disappeared, he would do all he could to track him down and bring him back where he belonged. His heart skipped a few beats at the thought of his daughter doing something similar.

Was this what it really meant to be Enlightened besides having superior powers? To see things beyond what everybody else could? If that was true, what did that mean to Wataru, who made a choice his father – one of the most powerful Enlightened in existence according to the Nobunaga's claims – could not see through? Was Wataru capable of something beyond Enlightened?

"Yes, sir, I will issue the order at once. I would like to offer the general public reward for viable information concerning Wataru." Kalen nodded his agreement, knowing that they had to do something to let the people know he cared. Shohei bowed deeply and turned to leave the King to his grief, knowing no more reports would be read today.

A defeated tone he'd never heard from Kalen – or any of the Nobunaga's for that matter – stopped him at the door. "Please Shohei, tell me I'm making the right choice and I haven't just condemned my son."

The room remained silent.

* * *

News of the young Prince Aran Nobunaga disappearing spread through the Regions quickly. The public, whether they be Gifted, Empowered, or regular citizens – had trouble accepting the loss of yet another of the royal family. Connections were made almost immediately that the child that was now missing was the one who had claimed the queen's life fourteen years ago. There were no accusations made though; the Enlightened were too revered to take it that far. Beyond the existing reverence, Aran had spent the past few years becoming very familiar to the public. His strongest ability was a variety of healing methods and he'd made regular trips around the land to heal those who couldn't afford medical care on their own. He had worked hard since turning twelve to earn the respect of the people rather than simply inheriting it and that showed in the people's depressed response to the news of losing him.

Since his siblings kept their abilities and accomplishments hidden from the public, he had chosen to become a face for the people to associate with the name Nobunaga and Enlightened.

And now he was gone…

No explanation…

No indication of where in the Regions he might be…

Just the faith that he did what he had to do and one day he would return to his rightful place with the rest of his family.

* * *

And with that, the most difficult portion of the story I've written so far is complete. The beginning is always the hardest and it was especially difficult for me to figure out the best way to organize this. And I'll admit to the personal joy it was to have Shohei in a position where he has someone he has to answer to instead of being in charge, though I wanted his willingness to listen to someone else to be based on respect and loyalty. That's the only way I see him really allowing himself to be ordered around.

The name thing with the Nobunaga family will get addressed later, but just to clarify Noal is Kalen, Keiran is Kohaku, Rohn is Ryoku, and Aran is Wataru.

Anyway, I do have about three chapters ahead of this written out by hand and just need to transcribe it so the first few chapters should come out relatively close together, probably within a week or so of each other. The next chapter will jump straight into introducing Wataru and Yuichi and a few other main characters.

Hope you enjoyed and see you next time.

Kira Dattei


	2. Chapter 1: First Encounters

Story: The Five Regions

Author: Kira Dattei

Chapter: 1/at least 15 cuz that's what I have planned so far

Word Count: 4,959

Summary: AU – In a world where a majority of the population is born with special abilities, peace has only just been found between the Gifted and the Empowered thanks to the Enlightened Nobunaga family. Yuichi Kazuki, a highly skilled Empowered, is nearing the completion of his training and getting ready to go into the world as a Guardian of the people when his world is changed forever by the appearance of a new trainee by the name of Wataru Fujii. He reaches out to this person, never expecting that his life would take on an entirely new course once he learns Wataru's secret…

Rating: T. Subject to change in later chapters.

A/N: If anyone is interested in being a beta, let me know. It'd help keep me on track. Not much else to say pre-chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1: First Encounters

**Two years later**

**Eastern Jade Region Training Facility**

Yuichi Kazuki, Guardian in training of the Empowered division, sighed heavily in boredom. Another month down at the training facility, another welcoming ceremony for new recruits. There were few things in the world he found to be less enthusing. He would prefer to be allowed to continue with his normal routine, but unfortunately there was a certain level of obligation attached to being the younger brother of the man most directly responsible for the operation of the facility.

"Careful, someone might notice the 'perfect student' has no interest in new trainees," Yuichi's friend, Han, whispered from beside him. Yuichi glanced over with a roll of his eyes.

"I care about new trainees. I just don't care about meeting every single one who walks through the gate. We have better ways to spend an afternoon of every month."

"Most people see this as a good break from every other day of the month. We don't get many breaks from training."

"That's because most of the people you hang out with are in the advanced program. Do you remember how many breaks we got as new trainees?" Han shrugged, knowing that Yuichi's frustration was more focused on the public nature of the event. Public meant being unable to avoid attention the teen could usually dissuade through rank the rest of the time.

Yuichi had everything going for him to be popular: he was handsome, kind, talented, and had a strong familial connection to the Nobunagas. That popularity would be better appreciated if the teen actually had any remote interest in it. The truth was he was quite intolerant of the attention, but being raised in an atmosphere of propriety made it difficult for him to actually express his dislike to the people who crowded him. He had few true friends to be open and honest with and they did whatever they could to help him have some semblance of a normal life by keeping the masses away from him. In this, Han was a master: his powers made him very perceptive and he could be instantly unbearable to anybody he chose to irritate. There had been one time Han was bored and subjected Yuichi to this particular talent; the two hadn't spoken civilly for weeks afterward.

"You could at least try to find a way to amuse yourself. Try to peg a hottie to go after." It was a common subject of teasing that Yuichi hadn't made an effort to Connect with anyone – something unheard of for a Guardian as advanced as he was. They thrived on having someone to protect and care about them.

Yuichi shot Han a very dirty look, which was rewarded with a grin. Yuichi sighed again – he should have known better than to try and dissuade Han from that subject. Han was Empowered with Connections, which allowed him to see what people were capable of being to each other. He was constantly saddened by looking at Yuichi and seeing all the potential friendships between the teen and the people who surrounded him but were ignored.

"Will you just humor me for once? You can even lie to yourself by putting some official task being completed."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Look for the lost prince," Han huffed, irritated that Yuichi was taking that seriously. "You missed the point." Yuichi shrugged and shot his friend a pointed look, telling Han that he knew the point but was just ignoring it.

Sometimes having a best friend who was a natural at subterfuge and mixed messages was frustrating, especially to one as direct as Han.

A flash out of the corner of Han's vision brought attention to one of the new trainees approaching their position. The figure – male from the build – was hooded, which was allowed but unusual in such an open setting such as the training facility where all were welcomed as equals. He was of slight build, standing about a head shorter than most of the other recruits. His clothes were worn and it was obvious the boy had lived a rough life by the carry of his shoulders and the downcast gaze.

Han blinked, changing his perspective to try and figure out what caught his attention. Since his first choice was always Connections he saw it immediately: this person had a connection to absolutely everybody in the crowd. _Impossible…_

Han blinked to change his perspective again, wanting to see what sort of abilities this mystery boy had. He was surprised again when he couldn't lock in on him enough to even tell if he was Gifted or Empowered. Something was blocking his senses, which he'd never seen in a new recruit.

"Yuichi, could you do a favor for me and Look at that short, hooded boy?"

Yuichi was confused by the sudden serious tone to his friend's request. His eyes sought out the boy Han indicated and changed his perspective, despite his confusion. Of the two of them, Han's Sight was stronger by a long shot and he might not be able to see whatever Han wanted him to.

"How am I Looking?"

"Powers."

Focusing his vision in the manner that brought one's abilities into view, Yuichi immediately understood his friend's confusion. To Yuichi's weaker Sight, the boy had no powers at all. Knowing that it would have been impossible for the boy to be admitted if that was the case, Yuichi simply assumed that Han could see something, but probably couldn't identify it. That was not a comforting thought considering Han's remarkable skill. With that factor in mind, another possibility was that he was _that_ good at covering his powers – something unheard of in someone so young. He turned to his friend with an expression that told Han he'd figured out what his friend was trying to point out.

"Wanna know what caught my attention?" Han asked, reminding Yuichi that nobody walked around casually using Perspective vision. He simply nodded his agreement. "He has a Connection with everybody around him that showed up in my regular sight. He has potential to be important to absolutely everybody. You know that's just downright weird for anybody."

"So who is this kid?"

"How about we use your family's position for good and do some snooping?" The mischievous glint to his friend's grin was impossible to ignore, and Yuichi found his own curiosity piqued in a way that he wasn't accustomed to. "How about you cozy up to him in warm greeting and I'll track down his history."

"Wait, why should I talk to him? Out of us, you're the most likely to figure something out."

Han's reply came with a superior and smug look. "Because his potential Connection is strongest with you. It changed as soon as you looked at him. I would be denying my duties as your best friend if I ignored a bond that strong." A roll of light blue eyes was Yuichi's reply, but Yuichi didn't dispute the offered roles any further but instead began making his way through the crowd toward the boy.

* * *

_Too many people…Too much power around…It wasn't supposed to take this long…_

"Stupid ceremony," Wataru mumbled. He'd tried to forego the ceremony, but Kawamura – his friend and contact he'd used to enroll without being asked too many questions – told him he couldn't get in under the radar like he wanted to if he had to pull those kind of strings. _Kawamura doesn't know how hard it is to keep hidden from this many people or he'd have found a way to make it work._ "Stupid ceremony," he hissed again in frustration. The outbursts helped him keep calm even if people around him were giving him weird looks.

"Yes, they do like their ceremony," a soft but deep voice whispered from behind him. _No threat…_ his senses were immediate to respond despite how many things his focus was divided between. He wouldn't have survived long if he'd been unable to keep his warning systems active subconsciously. "There's only a few minutes left though."

Wataru turned enough to glance at the speaker…well it was supposed to only be a glance. Light brown hair, grown out to brush just above intense but kind steel grey eyes made for a rare combination in the Eastern Region. His skin tone was relatively pale, only slightly touched by the sun. His build represented a compact strength, evenly distributed muscle that was designed for Empowerment. A quick Look confirmed the nature of his abilities. The light armor and blade strapped to his left hip identified him as a Guardian trainee in the advanced stages of the program.

…_He's familiar…_

"I take it you're used to this kinda thing then," Wataru responded, putting a lot of effort into sounding relaxed.

"Yes, I've been around the facility for quite some time now. I'm Yuichi Kazuki," the teen introduced himself smoothly, unaware of the effect his response had on Wataru.

_Kazuki. He's Shohei's brother._ The connection almost caused Wataru to bolt then and there, but something held him in place. He'd never met the sibling of Shohei before and he realized that Yuichi had no reason to know the name Fujii. There were strict rules that mandated nobody who was close enough to the Nobunagas to know their given names be permitted to share the information with anybody else, even family members. It was the only thing that saved him from real detection.

_Take the risk…_ "Wataru Fujii," he responded shortly, watching the reaction carefully. Seeing nothing significant in Yuichi's demeanor, Wataru relaxed minutely.

"Do you not appreciate the crowd?" Yuichi pressed the conversation, picking a seemingly random topic.

"Not especially. What gave it away?" There was a tug on the back of his cloak, nearly dislodging his hood. "Ah yes, not exactly standard outfit for an open event." Yuichi's expression told Wataru the acknowledgement of the statement. "Close proximity aggravates a few sensitivities and it gets hard to ignore. It's easier to handle if there's something between me and them." _There's more truth than you've given anyone in a long time._

"Where are you from?" Wataru automatically withdrew further into the cloak, trying to conceal his dark hair and eyes, which were a rarity in any Region. It was a harmless enough question, one he'd probably get a lot in such a diverse facility, but he couldn't keep the hesitation away.

"Nomad," he answered shortly as he turned away. Yuichi nodded in response, but he noted the reaction to his query. Nomads were a private people who chose not to settle down anywhere and tended to make them somewhat closed off to others. However, some instinct told Yuichi there was something else to the other teen's sudden increase in reticence. "What about you? Your hair and eye color don't fit this Region."

"That isn't a particularly profound observation when we're in a facility that brings in people from every Region," Yuichi's response was strangely playful. He was enjoying something about the interaction with Wataru. "My family is from the Emerald Region." Wataru turned again and this time Yuichi was able to glimpse jet black eyes and hair of the same color. It was an unusual combination: very few people in the five Regions had black hair and such a dark shade of eyes was nearly unheard of.

"A Region primarily populated by Gifted people," the comment was clipped and Yuichi noted the offer of not expounding on the subject. It was a gesture not often given in the accepting times they lived in, an acknowledgement of harder times of war only just closed that most were still hesitant to openly discuss.

It also meant that Wataru could tell that he was Empowered without Looking at him.

Or, perhaps, he'd simply done it so quickly and with such a degree of subtlety that it had completely escaped Yuichi's notice.

"True, but it was more willing to accept peace because of its border with the Vagabond's Territory." Wataru nodded in acknowledgement of the very true statement. There was growing tension throughout the Regions of a possible war breaking out with the Vagabonds, who had powers different from the Gifted, Empowered, and Enlightened. The Southern Region felt the most pressure because of the border. "You knew that I'm Empowered?" Yuichi chose to call Wataru on that. He doubted his choice when the shorter male tensed once again. Yuichi was simultaneously becoming irritated and intrigued by Wataru's reactions to everything he said. There seemed to be no safe subject with him.

"More of an educated guess than anything. Your build has Empowered written all over it. Besides, your armor and weapon mark you as a Guardian, which is mostly made up of Empowered." Wataru's explanation was acceptable and certainly true, but Yuichi felt that there was something else.

Again, the feeling that there was more.

They had been so focused on their discussion that they hadn't noticed the completion of the ceremony until the crowd broke into applause and began to disperse. Wataru's relief was immediate as the pressure around him relaxed and he was able to free some of his mind. It wouldn't take long for him to recover but it was still going to feel strained for a little while after he was away from others. He finally turned to fully face Yuichi. There was something to this conversation that touched a part of Wataru he had closed off long ago. He just couldn't place what it was and didn't want to consider what it meant. Answering a sudden urge, he pushed his hood off his head.

Jet black hair settled in front of his eyes and fell to his shoulders, mostly held in place by a leather band that circled his head and covered his forehead. Wide black eyes made him appear younger and more innocent than he really was – something he used to his advantage often. His skin was a light tan from spending much time in the sun. The cloak hid the details of his build but it was obviously slender and probably only mildly muscled. His expression seemed open enough but Yuichi noted the experience of a rough life that lingered on the edge of Wataru's eyes.

Something about Wataru's posture struck Yuichi's attention, reminding him of something he didn't see often in Nomads, but he couldn't place what it was exactly.

"So I'll see you around the facility?" Wataru asked, knowing he wouldn't see him for any of the courses he would be enrolled in and he wasn't going to get involved with the Guardians – too close to Shohei.

"Yes, I'd count on it," Yuichi responded with a smirk, then Wataru was walking away and he was left feeling like he'd made a mistake letting him. He wondered how soon he could run into Wataru without the boy suspecting he was following him.

Connection indeed…

_...Stupid Han and his Vision…_

Thinking of his friend, he looked around the dissipating crowd for the other teen. It didn't take long to hone in on him and Yuichi made his way over to where Han was leaning against one of the nearby buildings. "What'd you find?" he called as he got near.

Han shrugged, "Not much to his record. He's claimed as a Nomad and very little else on the application was filled in. Higher ups must have met with him already or he wouldn't have been let in with such little info. You get anything?"

"Not much more. Just the general feeling that he doesn't like to talk about himself. He's really closed off and it's obviously something he's used to. Something is bugging me about him, but I just can't figure out what exactly it is."

"Bugging you enough to report him?" Yuichi hesitated, knowing what he should probably do, but as he pictured the black eyes and considered his reaction to the other teen he knew what he had to say.

"No, I don't think anything he's hiding is dangerous. There's just something about him…"

* * *

Wataru walked through the door leading to the room he'd been assigned and looked around. It was organized simply in order to accommodate people passing through it regularly: a bed against the far wall, a desk to the left wall and a closet beside that. He'd been surprised to find out that he didn't have to share quarters with another recruit, but then he'd discovered that nobody shared rooms unless it was requested. Powers reacted strongly to emotions and there couldn't be the risk of something getting destroyed because of a bad roommate. He stepped further into the room and dropped his bag in front of the closet.

_One day down…How long will I last?_

This was where he would be exposed. He'd known that since he entered the Eastern Region four months ago. What he didn't know was the extent of the exposure. He had no idea if this place meant becoming Aran once again or if the revelation of his true identity would be an isolated incident.

Making his way to the bed and settling into it, he considered the two years since he had gone into hiding. His disappearance had been the result of strong visions of disasters occurring within the very structure of the Regions if he'd been initiated into his position of authority in the Northern Region at 14 as had been planned. Something about that age and event caused the still fragile disputes between the Gifted and Empowered to increase instead of quell. He considered telling his father – he'd still think about that even now – but when he included that action in his Future, he still saw war breaking out. The moment he chose to disappear, his Future cleared of any signs of war and he was able to see the unity that now reigned in the Regions.

Two years and he still had no clue why his choice changed the Future so drastically.

A knock at the door startled him into sitting upright, not realizing he'd started to doze.

"Wataru, its Kawamura," the familiar voice called through the door. Relaxing his posture, Wataru invited is friend into the room. Kawamura slipped in, closing the door quickly behind him and turned to face the door and traced his finger over the wood to activate a Silencing Ward.

"What's that for?" Wataru remained passive, not entirely concerned by anything having gone wrong so soon. Kawamura had always tended to air on the side of caution, something Wataru usually endorsed and encouraged but was too tired to really care about at the moment.

"Just insurance: the walls aren't that think in here. Why did Kazuki approach you?" The direct question threw Wataru off since Kawamura usually displayed quite an easy going persona. His emotions did sometimes get away from him and would cause him to vent – endlessly in Wataru's opinion – but he rarely just cut straight to the heart of the matter like he was now.

"I don't know. He was asking pretty standard first meeting questions."

"And you know who that was, right?"

"Shohei Kazuki's little brother. Why wouldn't I know who he is when his brother was responsible for my safety for a good chunk of my life?" Kawamura looked somewhat angry with that response so Wataru elected for a diffusor. "I'd never met Yuichi before today. Shohei wasn't allowed to let his personal life and his official duties overlap for our safety." His friend didn't seem pacified in the least.

"And if Shohei or your brothers track the meeting and find you?" Wataru gave Kawamura an aggravated look.

"How long have I been in hiding?" Kawamura's expression became confused. "Do you think this is the first person I've came in contact with that could be traced back to my brothers?"

"Of course not, but none this close I'm sure."

"He's not close enough to make the connection." His friend was obviously not convinced. "We'd know by now if he'd identified me. The Defenders would have made an appearance."

Brown eyes seemed to finally relax slightly at the obviously good point: the Defenders would waste no time at all in approaching Wataru if he'd been found and with the few placed here as instructors it would indeed be an instantaneous response. "I just didn't want the hard work I put into getting you in here to be for nothing. Just try not to make the eye-batting a regular thing."

Wataru shot to his feet at the accusation. There was the slightest flicker of the candle on the table, but it extinguished just as quickly as Wataru reigned in the flare of emotional response. Though his initial response was violent, the voice that spoke was quiet and collected, also known to anybody who knew the teen to be very dangerous. "Who's batting eyes? It was a civil conversation between two trainees."

Kawamura had long ago ceased feeling threatened by infuriating the Prince. "And how did the conversation end?"

"That we'd see each other around the facility. How is that…" the pause indicated Wataru really thinking back to the exchange. "Oh crap, I was flirting with Yuichi Kazuki!" he suddenly exclaimed and collapsed back into the bed. Kawamura tried not to look entirely smug though he was sure he failed miserably. "How the hell did I not notice?"

"You were so focused on limiting your power that your reaction to him was instinctual. There must be some strong connection for you to not to be able to notice the reason for your response. You should avoid him until you have a better handle on your powers."

And there was the reason he was there in the first place: he'd been through too many changes in his powers to control using the methods he'd grown up with. He needed to learn the tricks of the Gifted and Empowered to try and reestablish his balance. Anything he learned would have to be adapted to fit the nature of his powers – being an Enlightened changed the source of his power – but it would be better than his defenses failing completely and someone getting hurt because he lost control. Unfortunately, the likelihood of that happening was increasing as time went on without him addressing the problem.

"Wataru, if you aren't careful Kazuki-san could be the reason you lose control. Emotions aren't exactly helpful to your control; a Zen mindset only gets you so far."

That was the problem with Wataru's method of control: it relied on his ability to restrain emotions. While he had usually appeared to be a passive and collected individual, he had was strong-willed, fiercely independent and prone to having strong emotional response to his surroundings. He had lived for years suppressing his natural reactions and it was beginning to become too difficult to do so. He needed to find a way to successfully channel his power using his emotions rather than hiding from them.

Wataru remained silent, something he did often that Kawamura had had to get used to. Now he understood it to represent the never ending conflict his friend struggled with every day: _What should he do?_

"It felt right to stand beside Yuichi. I won't be able to avoid that forever," Wataru admitted.

Kawamura knew that it took a lot of fortitude for Wataru to reveal that, even to someone so close, and so he accepted that maybe Wataru needed to hear something he didn't want to say. "Then don't try to forever; just long enough to get a handle on everything. I just don't want to see you hurting because of your choices."

* * *

It had been a few weeks since Wataru had disappeared from his position as Prince Aran and he was making it on the outside. His need for food and water was mitigated as his power acted as sustenance when necessary, but he was beginning to feel the strain of his decision. His age was also providing obstacles: he was being stopped regularly by guards asking him about his parents and he had yet to find clothes that were of poor enough quality to pass as the Nomad he claimed to be. His powers were a constant irritation as well, his mind being flooded by visions through time and adjusting to life without barriers. The only reason he was still holding it together was because of the extra training he'd needed to go through to survive his ever-changing abilities.

Pulling the hood of his cape further over his head to hide from the cold more than curious eyes, he ducked into an inn. It was getting late and he needed a night off the streets to reset his mind. The dining area inside the entry was about half full of what looked more like Nomads, but there were some patrons that were guards on their time off – identifiable by their posture and the way they glanced to the door every time it opened. He got a room easily enough with a little bit of Influence to avoid the questioning of his age. He found an empty table off to the side of the dining area and setting in for dinner.

He was about to head up to his room around an hour later when another young man dropped into the chair across the table from him. He looked up to see a rather carefree male of about 16 years old. Reddish-brown hair fell around his head in a shaggy, unkempt manner framing expressive brown eyes. He was of relatively standard build and height, making him an individual who would simply exist in a crowd. A quick look deeper told Wataru his company was Gifted. _No threat..._

"What?" he spoke shortly and without any indication he welcomed the intrusion.

"Well aren't we touchy. See what happens when I try to help someone out. My name is Kawamura and I'm here to protect your secret." His introduction held a joking tone, but Wataru sensed that was more of a show.

"And just what secret are you supposed to be protecting so valiantly? Besides, what gave you the idea that I need protecting in the first place?"

"I'll admit you are skilled enough to magic your way past the innkeeper. That has to be the smoothest Illusory job I've ever seen. Hey, have you heard about the disappearance of the Prince?" Wataru tried not to react to the flow of subject change, but Kawamura threw it out too callously for him to cover everything.

"Yeah I heard about it. It's all anybody ever talks about these days. 'How are we supposed to believe in a King who can't track down his own kid' and such discussions. Don't see how that answers my question."

"Others in here are thinking you are a close enough match and I'm doing some serious work in convincing them they're off-base and you couldn't be his Royal Absentness."

"That shouldn't take much work: you can't prove something to be anything other than what it is. Besides, I look nothing like Aran." He felt his power rise to answer the call of his royal name in changing his appearance, but he pulled his mind away from the power and covered the act with a sigh of frustration.

"Nice try, Aran…oh wait, you go by Wataru while not on official duty." Wataru's defenses flared at the outright shock he felt at hearing his name without giving it. He didn't expect the flare to shatter a barrier that had surrounded them and that stunned him away from the concentration it required to maintain the defense. How had he missed the barrier in the first place?

It was now that the barrier was down that Wataru was able to see Kawamura's capabilities: the young man was very talented indeed and obviously excelled at defensive techniques and he did so in a manner Wataru had never seen before. With the amount of power, he would easily be able to see through the mediocre barrier Wataru kept up at all times. If he could see through the barriers then he could see that they were powered by Enlightened abilities.

"How long have you been following me?" Wataru still didn't feel threatened and he hadn't had any Visions of this encounter, meaning it didn't hold any negative influence on his future – it might actually have been necessary.

Kawamura shrugged and reformed the barrier so smoothly Wataru was no longer surprised he'd missed it the first time. "A few days after you left. I saw you tricking your way past the Diamond Region's border patrol. I knew that what I saw had to be the power of the Enlightened and that meant Aran."

"My disappearance hadn't been reported to the public yet."

"True, but the guards knew and I'm friendly enough with the right people to know better than the public."

"And why are you choosing to protect me?"

"There's a reason you guys are called Enlightened. I figure you know what you're doing."

"That's what everybody says about us," Wataru muttered darkly. That common belief was what put his father in his current position and it followed all his children in everything they did.

After that meeting, Kawamura had indeed protected Wataru in the time he'd been in hiding. First, he'd taught him how to survive a Nomad lifestyle. Then he found a way for Wataru to survive the last time his powers had shifted on him. Now he'd made it possible for the younger teen to hide out in the safety of the training facility. Sure, it would eventually mean Wataru's exposure – not something he'd tell his friend because of his protective nature toward Wataru – but there was something there that would make it worth it to go back to the royal life.

* * *

A/N: And there you have the first chapter. I'm hoping that nobody thinks I'm too far off from the personalities of the books. There will be differences because of playing with their world a lot, but I'm trying to keep the core of their personalities the same. As for the jumping around in time, there won't be much of that. Actually, so far in what I've finished writing, this is the only one I've done looking at a past event from the timeline and I haven't given myself a reason for more. There will be a few more jumps forward by a few months over the next few chapters but then it will stay pretty chronological.

Of course, if there are any questions or **constructive** criticism feel free to put it forward.

Thank you so much for those of you who reviewed and faved the story. Thanks especially to Amy Levi who gave me a level of accountability to finishing the story in their review.

See you next time.

Kira Dattei


	3. Chapter 2: Settling In

Story: The Five Regions

Author Kira Dattei

Chapter: 2/at least 15 but that's subject to change

Word Count: 5,773

Summary: AU – In a world where a majority of the population is born with special abilities, peace has only just been found between the Gifted and the Empowered thanks to the Enlightened Nobunaga family. Yuichi Kazuki, a highly skilled Empowered, is nearing the completion of his training and getting ready to go into the world as a Guardian of the people when his world is changed forever by the appearance of a new trainee by the name of Wataru Fujii. He reaches out to this person, never expecting that his life would take on an entirely new course once he learns Wataru's secret…

Rating: T though subject to change in later chapters

A/N: First of all, thank you for the reviews hitomi65, Amy Levi, Billy and Pikeebo! Every single one helps.

So I was reading the first OTRFK novel when I was about 3 chapters into the story written out by hand and decided to add this chapter. I hadn't read the first book in a while and it was a good reminder on some of the details of personalities which I'm trying to stick to as best as I can. As I was reading and thinking about this story, I felt like I needed to add this. That and it was just extremely fun to write. Also, if anybody is interested in being a beta, message me and let me know.

And without any further ado, enjoy the second chapter.

* * *

Chapter 2: Settling In

_Fill the lungs. Hold breath for five seconds. Empty the lungs. Fill the lungs. Hold breath for five seconds. Empty the lungs. Fill the lungs. Hold the breath for five seconds. Wonder how much longer we're going to spend on this. Empty the lungs. Three hours on breathing shouldn't be needed in a society that has had magic for centuries. Fill the lungs._

Wataru's distracted thought process was enough to disrupt his breathing from what the instructor had told them to maintain and he fell into his preferred rhythm, which took about twice as long as the rest of the class. He felt attention on him and guessed that the break in rhythm had caught the notice of the instructor. The instructor, an Empowered man in his late forties by the name of Nowaki, had impeccable attention to details even without tapping into the Sensory enhancements he claimed were his specialty and Wataru spared him half a second of respect for noticing the shift as quickly. He then matched his breathing to the people around him and fell back in line with the class. He knew that the teacher still hadn't dismissed him completely, but he didn't care enough to let it affect him anymore than it had already. He did split his attention between two tasks though: making sure his rhythm didn't break from the instructed method and letting his mind wander to keep from getting bored with a method of control that he'd been doing since as young as he could remember.

It had been two days since the introduction ceremony and he had, of course, recovered from the crowd exposure of the first day by the next morning but he was still on edge for a number of reasons. First and foremost, he was finding it difficult to really accept that he would be sticking in the same place for an extended period of time. He had become so accustomed to moving around constantly over the past two years that knowing he wouldn't be moving on the next day was going against the instincts of survival he had developed. Beyond that, despite being around other new trainees, he still managed to be the focus of a lot more attention than he preferred. He figured part of it was his own fault since he continued to wear his cloak with the hood drawn over the uniform he was provided. It wasn't against the rules, but it still separated him from just about everybody else. He couldn't help it though: keeping a physical barrier between himself and his surroundings was as habitual as moving constantly and helped him maintain his mental barriers easier.

"That's all for today," Nowaki called out to the class and Wataru felt the room come alive around him. He didn't come out of the meditative state immediately as the others did though, but took an extra deep breath so that he could focus his mind into a single train of thought. He opened his eyes in time to see the instructor glance his way again, then look away as he addressed everybody. "Breathing drills are fundamental to maintaining control in any situation and you will never have to battle with your abilities as you probably have to do now. You should practice this drill several times each day until you don't have to focus on the pattern. This is all I want you to work on until I see you again in a week."

The trainees started gathering their belongings and filing out of the room with Wataru moving at a slightly slower pace so as to miss the crowded exit. He was about to turn to the door when he noticed the instructor making his way over to him. He sighed in frustration, already having an idea as to what he wanted to discuss.

"Trainee Fujii, is it?" Nowaki asked and Wataru simply nodded in response to try and dissuade the man from thinking he _wanted_ to talk to him. "Would you mind telling me how long you've been tapping into your abilities?"

"You've watched me breathe. What exactly happened in that time to make you think I've tapped power?" Wataru's responded guardedly. Since the creation of the training facilities, trying to control abilities without any formal training was discouraged to the point of being legally reprimanded. Of course, abilities for Gifted and Empowered usually didn't emerge until mid to late teens and so it was easier to have that restriction.

Things were different for the Enlightened though and Wataru had been battling with his abilities since he was a toddler.

"I'm more concerned by the adjustments you made as soon as I was focused on you. The only way you could have noticed was if you were enhancing your senses."

"That would be a good conclusion if I was an Empowered, but I'm Gifted. So, excuse the disrespect, but maybe you should check your information before you go accusing me of something that would go on my record." Nowaki didn't look like he was buying that excuse.

"There are other methods to enhancing senses, such as bonding your awareness to the air around you and it would garner the same results," he countered. He had a good point and Wataru was sure that the man was skilled enough to have realized he hadn't actually lost the rhythm, but settled into what he already knew to be natural for him. "Look, it's not like these facilities hold all the rights to teaching meditation and breathing exercises. The people I travelled with saw the benefit to meditation, whether or not they had powers, and so everybody practiced."

The instructor seemed to deflate much more with that declaration. After all, Wataru was openly claiming the raising of a Nomad – he wasn't too far off from the truth – and the nature of their lifestyle dictated that they have less structure. They still answered to the same laws as everyone else, but their home was with the people around them rather than a specific location and that gave them different priorities.

"Well, if that's the case, then I will commend you on your skill. You are already aware of your natural rhythm and you obviously don't have to actually focus on what you are doing. You may want to consider requesting a more advanced curriculum or you will probably get bored."

Wataru mentally scoffed at what he considered a stupid suggestion that would do nothing but gain him more attention. Aloud, he was more respectful while actually remaining honest, "I appreciate the thought, but I'd like to go through the entire program in case there's something here that will work better for me than what I've learned already."

"Very well, then I will see you next week," and with that, Wataru was dismissed without a second thought and he sighed as soon as he was out of the room. He wasn't off to the greatest start when two days in he was getting called on something to do with being Enlightened.

"Just had to be born one of them…" he muttered darkly. He rarely felt anything negative toward his family and even now he felt guilt at attacking those he loved and sacrificed everything for, but his mood was simply getting fouler as the day progressed.

He started toward his room at a reserved pace since he had plenty of time until he had to be in the fields. His next training session was a weapons class and he looked forward to getting some good training. He hadn't touched a blade since leaving his family, preferring to stick to the bow-and-arrow he had always been most talented with, but right now he just really wanted to hit someone. It helped even further that he was going to be placed with people of similar skill. He could work out some frustration and not get more attention out of the deal.

After a quick stop by his room to change into more comfortable clothes – the uniform was still quite stiff and would serve as a distraction – and he was off to the fields where all physical trainings were conducted. He would use any extra time before his official training session started to warm up and regain some of his equilibrium before being put up against anybody. He had just exited the dormitory and turned in the direction of the fields when he heard his name being called from nearby. He looked toward the direction of the voice and his breath caught as his gaze met grey eyes.

Yuichi's form was a striking presence. Wataru hadn't really noticed the first time they'd met, but without the pressure of the crowd, it was impossible to miss that fact. He was tall – Wataru came to just below his shoulders, though he was a little shorter than average – but he carried himself with a level of self-confidence that couldn't be taught. His finely sculpted features and his posture made him seem simply regal. _I could never look this much like royalty._ Then again he didn't actually enjoy looking like royalty, so he'd never given it an honest try and now he despised the prospect.

But here was a man so close to him in age that didn't have a reason to carry himself in such a manner, and yet he seemed to accomplish it flawlessly. In fact, Wataru had already heard word around the facility – the rumor mill wasn't the most reliable source of information, especially with the age group he was immersed in, but it did have its moments and so Wataru always tapped into it as soon as possible – and apparently Yuichi was the kind of person in which everything came easily to him. If he made up his mind about something, it was as good as done.

Yet another way he was completely different from Wataru, who had struggled through seemingly everything. Every once in a while something would come to him quickly, but he usually had to settle for average results.

Realizing that he had been staring and hadn't said anything, he shook his head slightly to gather his wits back about him. "Yuichi, I didn't expect to see you again so soon," he covered his lapse.

"Yes, it is a surprise. How are you settling in to the facility?" Yuichi questioned smoothly as he walked up closer to Wataru, stopping about an arm's length away, a distance the shorter teen quickly widened out of habit rather than actual discomfort. Yuichi noted the distance Wataru set and made a mental note to maintain that for the time being.

"Things are going smoothly. I just finished my first class with Nowaki." Yuichi nodded shortly.

"He's a very good instructor; you'll learn a lot from him. Where are you heading to now?"

"I have weapons placement and training in a while. I was going to just get a workout in before it starts."

Yuichi internally cheered at the stroke of luck. He wouldn't have to search for an excuse to prolong the chance meeting. "I'm heading that way as well. Do you mind if I join you?"

The conversation he'd had with Kawamura came to Wataru immediately and he hesitated in responding. Should he just allow whatever was between them to grow or did he need to play it safe? Just the thought of denying Yuichi's presence filled Wataru with an unparalleled sense of loss and sadness that bordered on depression.

Was it even a matter of should as much as _could_ he deny Yuichi's request, simple and innocent as it was?

"Sure, that sounds great," he found himself saying before he could analyze that query any further.

Apparently he couldn't…

Yuichi's eyes seemed to light up at his response and Wataru found himself desiring that expression more often from the other teen. As they turned back in the direction of the fields, Wataru's mind raced to find something to say to the tall figure walking beside him. He noted that Yuichi maintained a distance from him and he was touched by the gesture.

_Kawamura's right, my mind is all over the place. I need to get myself in order before my control slips and someone gets hurt._

"You said the other day that you are a Nomad, correct?" Yuichi finally broke the silence and Wataru nodded his response. "Do you know where you came from?" Yuichi looked to the shorter teen out of the corner of his eye to gauge his reaction and wasn't surprised to see the slender body tense at the question.

"I didn't join the Nomads until a few years ago, so yeah." Yuichi was kind of shocked to actually get an answer that elaborate. From the continued stiff posture, he had expected a simple one word answer.

Not that he would complain about learning more than expected about the enticing smaller teen.

"Why do you ask, anyway? Your chances weren't high for me being able to give an answer."

"It didn't hurt anything to ask, did it?" Wataru lowered his head to conceal the small smile the response caused. "Curiosity is a powerful motivator." And just as a few days ago, Wataru felt a tug on the hood of his cloak, though Yuichi wasn't as gentle this time and pulled hard enough to dislodge the cloth from its place. Wataru was too late to notice the action and his hand flew to his hair just as the hood settled around his neck. Not seeing the point in replacing it – he didn't put it past Yuichi to simply pull it back down if he tried – he ran his hand through his hair and smoothed out the mess that always followed constantly having a hood up.

"Black hair is rare enough in any of the regions and it's usually a sign of not having any powers, but I've only heard of people in the lands surrounding us to have black eyes. To possess both is beyond intriguing."

Of course Yuichi would be well informed in things like this; as obsessive as Shohei was in knowing the norms of appearance and ensuring that Wataru knew them, he would have probably subjected his younger brother to the same expectations. That wasn't to say he wasn't too far off in doing so: Wataru's parents came from a land outside of the Five Regions where at least dark hair was a commonality.

Black eyes though, were a rarity no matter where you looked as far as anybody knew.

Realizing he'd been silent for some time now – if Yuichi's expression was any indication – Wataru searched his mind as quickly as possible for something to say. He finally settled for "extremely evasive". "It's not like I got to pick how I looked when I was born. Believe me, if it were up to me, I'd pick something that helped me blend into the crowd rather than become the focus of it."

He wasn't sure if Yuichi actually bought his response – the older teen certainly seemed like he wanted to say more – but he was robbed of the opportunity as they arrived at the training fields and had to break their conversation to get situated. There was a sign-in sheet with an injury log – even the smallest bruise and scratch had to be recorded – and a spot to mark which weapon had been borrowed or if personal training weapons had been brought. Personal weapons had to be checked by the field facilitator for safety issues and then the trainees could enter the field. It wasn't a quick process, but it was designed to protect the students as well as possible given the dangerous nature of weapons training.

Yuichi signed in first since he had been there long enough that the facilitator knew him to be completely honest with his log. He'd also brought his own weapon, whereas Wataru would not only have to decide on which weapon he wanted to train with, but then they would have to find which one would work best for him, which they would make a note of so they didn't have to repeat the search every time he returned.

It was a surprise when Wataru didn't take long at all to select a short sword style blade and he quickly identified the one that fit him well enough to practice with. As he was handed the weapon and the log was complete, Yuichi just gave him a pointed questioning look. Wataru seemed confused at the expression. "What?" he asked when Yuichi's gaze didn't falter after a few seconds of just staring at each other silently.

"I'm not used to a new trainee selecting an adequate weapon so quickly and with such confidence."

Wataru shrugged the comment off. "I've been training with weapons for most of my life. It would have been time well wasted if I couldn't identify a proper weapon for myself. I'm much more favorable of the bow but I feel the need to hit something and an arrow hitting a target a hundred yards away just isn't as satisfying for that."

Yuichi nodded his understanding. Not only could he sympathize with a sword being much more useful for venting frustration, but Shohei had started Yuichi in his combat training early in life so he knew how strong of an instinct one could develop for handling weapons. However, Yuichi's capabilities with weapons were above almost everybody else's with his specialty of Empowerment where he could nearly master any weapon that he came in contact with through heightened body and mind awareness. It was a rare ability that his training as a Guardian had helped him hone. Furthermore, he had a strongly protective nature that compelled him even more to master his power.

Discovering that Wataru also had a long history of training piqued his interest as to how the smaller teen would measure up to his ability. Since Yuichi didn't actively attempt to extend his social circle, he didn't have anyone he was close to that had much experience with weapons before attending the training facility. He just didn't feel right asking anybody without a few years of experience with weapons to spar. He found his curiosity was too strong to ignore.

"What do you think of a sparring match with me? There's little more satisfying in relieving stress than a good partner to train with." Yuichi watched Wataru's expression shift as he mulled the offer over for a few seconds as if it was a much more serious decision than whether to train with or without someone. Finally he nodded his agreement to the prospect and Yuichi couldn't suppress the smile at what was turning out to be a very good day.

* * *

Yuichi and Wataru had warmed up separately, each having their own set of exercises and stretches they put themselves through to loosen their bodies. They then went through some basic cuts and strikes with their weapons and then they faced each other. Wataru knew Yuichi would be a challenge even without seeing him handle the long sword he was using. He was in the advanced portion of his training as a Guardian and there was just the sense that he was completely comfortable with the weapon he held.

As Yuichi watched Wataru move into a comfortable stance, he got the impression that the smaller teen would not go down easily. The stance alone was enough to tell him that Wataru was completely relaxed in the thought of fighting another person and that meant he wouldn't be prone to hesitation like many new trainees had to get past. Yuichi also guessed that Wataru had a great deal of speed: his small, lithe body was perfectly built for evasion without using much energy so he would probably outlast many people he came up against.

"Continue until a clear victory is obtained. Loss of weapon doesn't constitute a victory," Yuichi declared the rules and Wataru nodded his agreement. "I will not be using any enhancements either."

Yuichi settled himself into a relaxed stance he could easily attack and defend from and he wasn't going to change that until he had a better idea as to what he was going to deal with against Wataru. He had purposefully ignored Wataru while he was warming up as to avoid getting the wrong idea of his skill by watching practice swings. He made eye contact briefly and nearly relaxed his stance too much at the expression he saw in the black gaze: Wataru looked alive. There was always the feel that Wataru was holding back, but that didn't seem to be there at the moment. The jet black eyes were practically dancing with anticipation and Yuichi could identify aspects of his personality in that gaze alone: strong independence shaped by an unrefined nature.

Wataru didn't miss the opportunity and sprang into action, bringing his practice sword in an upward arc aimed at taking Yuichi's legs out from under him. Yuichi reacted quickly – a reflection of his experience – and stepped out of the path of the strike while noting that Wataru did, indeed, move very fast. With the threat passing in front of his knees, he brought his own sword in a horizontal strike aimed for Wataru's hand. A quick shift in the angle of the initial swing moved the base of Wataru's blade into the path of the strike and it was deflected. The action was merely defensive though and Yuichi was able to use the momentum of the deflection to follow up the strike immediately, making a cut for the shoulder. Wataru wasted no time in noticing the movement and he sprang back enough to avoid the strike and then he was back within range of his smaller weapon and shorter limbs to let out another attempt at taking Yuichi's legs out from under him. The exchange continued with neither teen making any real progress toward victory, but both were taking in vital information about the other's fighting style and ability.

_Low strikes allow him to keep his body coiled and he can move quicker without risking off-balancing himself. He can't generate as much strength in his strikes, but it keeps me moving and if he makes contact it'll give him the extra time he needs to deliver a powerful attack. Quite the well-developed strategy he's made for himself._

Now that Yuichi had a better idea as to Wataru's skill, he started pushing back. He still allowed the low strikes, but his counters gradually contained more power and Wataru had to put more effort into keeping the blows from making contact. Noticing the change in Yuichi's responses, Wataru changed his own style and stopped attacking altogether and remained on the defense, relying more on small movement and evasion rather than worrying about using the short sword. He could keep this up for hours while Yuichi wasted energy on missed strikes. Yuichi picked up on the change in tactics within a few missed strikes and he held back his next attack. He usually wouldn't worry about expending a little extra energy but without the use of his abilities he would tire out quicker and he wanted to see what Wataru would do next. He was turning out to be even more skilled than Yuichi had expected.

Yuichi was still holding back quite a bit, but Wataru was much more advanced than most of the people he was used to facing off against besides Guardians.

Wataru continued to delay as he tried to figure out the best way to get through Yuichi's flawless defenses. The taller teen had yet to make any unnecessary movement and his timing on everything he did was perfect and Wataru was beginning to wonder if he'd made any headway at all against him. Sure, he had yet to get a solid strike in on Wataru, but out of the two of them the smaller teen was more likely to make a mistake and he knew it. He figured Yuichi was aware of that as well.

An idea hit Wataru at that realization and he immediately took another swing at Yuichi, this time targeting his midsection which raised his posture and he already felt more off-balance with the strength he was putting behind the strike. Yuichi noticed how Wataru's current strike was affecting him and side-stepped the attack so it passed just in front of him, then countered with the full advantage of his longer arms and weapon. He aimed the blow at Wataru's torso and knew immediately that his opponent wouldn't be able to move quickly enough to evade or block.

When his weapon made contact, it was a solid hit but not where Yuichi had expected: Wataru's free left hand had extended and stopped the blow short by grabbing the dull weapon. He didn't give Yuichi a chance to recover and swept his own weapon toward Yuichi's now exposed torso. Getting past the surprise of Wataru's sacrifice move, Yuichi dropped his weapon and leapt away avoiding the strike. His long sword fell to the ground since Wataru didn't even try to keep a hold of it with his hand that was already beginning to redden and swell.

"I wouldn't have guessed you would be willing to take a chance like that," Yuichi commented as he put a little more distance between the two.

Wataru shrugged as he tucked his left hand beneath the fold of his belt to help keep it hidden and protected. He hadn't pulled a stunt like that in years – he hadn't sparred with anyone in that long that was skilled enough without tapping into abilities that made him resort to such tactics – and he had forgotten how much it hurt to nearly break his hand.

Shohei had lectured him for nearly an hour after the first time he pulled a similar stunt, which he completely ignored. Sometimes victory meant making a dangerous move and Wataru wasn't afraid of doing just that.

"Don't worry; I wouldn't try that if we were using live weapons. I'm impulsive, not idiotic." The corners of Yuichi's lips lifted in a small smirk at the declaration. He had guessed that Wataru had thought of that particular move seconds before attempting it and the statement confirmed his suspicion.

_I can add hot-headed to his list of character traits. Too bad that move didn't get him anywhere._

It was a further testament to Yuichi's skill that he had managed to evade that strike. His immediate willingness to give up his weapon in order to keep from getting hit showed and unquestionable confidence in his fighting abilities and Wataru wasn't sure he would have been able to make the same choice if their roles were reversed.

That realization led Wataru to believe that he wouldn't be able to win against Yuichi in a fight without powers. He couldn't even say for sure if allowing the use of powers would help him gain the upper hand; he was even more hesitant when faced with the thought of using his abilities against another living thing.

On the other hand, Wataru didn't like to lose either.

He recovered his compact stance and moved in for another attack against Yuichi, alternating strikes between trying to take out Yuichi's legs and downwards cuts aimed for his torso. He only got a few attempts in before it seemed like Yuichi lost his patience and moved in too close to get another cut in and he struck Wataru's wrist with a swift punch, loosening his grip on the weapon. In the next instant, the taller teen was standing behind him with one arm wrapped securely around his waist, effectively pinning his left arm to his body, and he had taken hold of the short sword and was now holding it against Wataru's throat.

And just like that, Wataru had lost the match to Yuichi.

He didn't offer any resistance against the hold or the threat of the blade against his throat, merely accepted his loss with dignity that had been ingrained into him by Shohei. After all, it was impossible for there to be anything other than a winner and a loser in every fight and both sides took the same risk when the conflict began.

Feeling the tension quickly leave the smaller form in his grasp, Yuichi recognized the acceptance of his victory and he started to loosen his grip on Wataru when his senses seemed to catch up with the position they were in. Wataru was pressed so close to him that he was aware of nothing but the other teen's presence. He realized how at peace he felt when in contact with Wataru and he suddenly had the feeling that he should protect him with everything he had. He wondered what Wataru felt being in his arms, if anything. The body in his arms shifted and he was baffled when it seemed that Wataru's form relaxed further into him and Wataru's head lolled back slightly so that it was being supported by Yuichi's shoulder.

"Not where I expected to end up when I agreed to this," Wataru's voice didn't dare raise above a whisper and Yuichi responded by lowering the sword from its threatening position and his forearm rested on Wataru's shoulder. His grip around Wataru's lithe waist loosened as well, but he maintained a solid hold on the other teen. "You do this often?"

"I would say this is a first time for me. I've never lost my weapon in a sparring match. You've challenged me in ways I've never experienced before." There were many meanings behind that last statement and Wataru's dark eyes turned to gaze up at him telling Yuichi he had noticed even if he didn't really understand.

"Fujii!" the name was yelled out across the field and Wataru jumped so violently, Yuichi had to let him go so he didn't get struck by flailing limbs. He turned to the source of the call, intent on disliking the person for interrupting what was a very promising moment between the two of them. The male approaching them was a familiar face to Yuichi, but he couldn't place where he knew him from. His height lay somewhere midway between Yuichi and Wataru and his shade of brown hair was pretty standard in any part of the Regions. By the wear on his uniform, he had obviously been at the facility for a few years and might actually have already completed his training. He wasn't wearing a Guardian's uniform or have any of the additions to his uniform that identified him as an instructor. There weren't many other positions available, which meant he most likely a message courier or recruiter who travelled throughout the Regions doing anything the training facilities needed.

From the manner he called Wataru and his gait as he approached, Yuichi decided he was probably Nomad raised and probably how he knew Wataru.

Wataru took a calming breath and turned to his approaching friend, making sure to not send him too dirty of a look for yelling at him like that. "Do you make a habit of interrupting sparring, Kawamura?" he asked by way of greeting.

"If that was sparring, I think the match is over. That is unless you had some brilliant scheme in the works where you survived getting your throat cut." Kawamura looked smug and Wataru guessed there were a few reasons behind that expression: he'd come between the two and he'd witnessed Wataru get beat in a sparring match – something he'd been trying to accomplish since they met. Wataru was about to respond sarcastically when Kawamura turned to Yuichi and extended his hand in greeting. "Yuichi Kazuki, my name is Kawamura. I've heard a lot about your progress here over the past eighteen months and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Yuichi looked between the extended hand and the brown eyes that seemed open and honest a few times before shaking hands. It was when their hands connected that he sensed the hostility that lay beneath the surface of Kawamura's demeanor and it was in the tension of his handshake that he knew he was the source of the anger.

Oh well, you didn't have Yuichi's popular reputation without a few people taking offense to it, no matter how little the person actually knew him.

Wataru, on the other hand, knew Kawamura would get protective of him and would take it out on Yuichi in any way he found would work for him. There were so many ways in which this would become irritating.

What better way to prevent the frustration than to call him on it? Wataru had always preferred a direct approach anyway. "Kawamura likes to think he's my father, mother, brother, sister, and favorite uncle all rolled into one person. Anything he says to you supposedly on my behalf is to be laughed at and then promptly ignored." Kawamura immediately released Yuichi's hand and turned on his friend with a gaping expression.

"How dare you sum up everything I go through for you into that!" He turned back to Yuichi and allowed some of his dislike towards the teen to show in his expression. "I'm not going to like you any time soon. I have been responsible for Wataru's safety for a long time now and I'm not going to drop the habit of looking after him. Besides that, I know he isn't going to take my advice of staying away from you if today is any indication. If you can accept that that is how we will be interacting, then there may just be hope for you yet."

Wataru stared at Kawamura with a baffled expression. He never expected his friend to be so upfront with the nature of their friendship just because he'd been called on his overprotectiveness. Then again, Wataru had never actually had a strong urge to know somebody as he had with Yuichi. Maybe he'd just have to get used to the idea that Kawamura would be more blunt toward the older teen.

He'd just have to wait and see what happened. Yuichi seemed to not be too put off by Kawamura's declaration, instead choosing to respond by promptly ignoring him and turning his attention back to Wataru and opened a conversation reviewing their match and what he thought of the younger teen's skills as a fighter.

His best friend didn't like this new addition to his life.

His new friend couldn't care less about anything but him, seemingly.

One of his instructors suspected him of illegal use of powers he didn't necessarily have.

He was still losing fights with the Kazuki family.

So much for stress relief…

* * *

And there's chapter 2! Hopefully the fight between Wataru and Yuichi was as easy to follow for everyone else as it was for me. And in case anybody caught/knows it, Nowaki was a Junjo Romantica reference. I'm going to have enough original characters through the story I just took an easy path for someone who isn't going to be popping up again. Just making sure I give credit where it's due.

Lots of awesome stuff happening in the next chapter, so look forward to that update!

Please review! Anybody who writes knows how much it means to get some feedback on what you're doing. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated. Even for those who don't review, I appreciate your interest.

Until next time,

Kira Dattei


	4. Chapter 3: Leaps and Bonds

Story: The Five Regions

Author: Kira Dattei

Chapter: 3/15ish

Word Count: 5,996

Summary: AU – In a world where a majority of the population is born with special abilities, peace has only just been found between the Gifted and the Empowered thanks to the Enlightened Nobunaga family. Yuichi Kazuki, a highly skilled Empowered, is nearing the completion of his training and getting ready to go into the world as a Guardian of the people when his life is changed forever by the appearance of a new trainee by the name of Wataru Fujii. He reaches out to this person, never expecting that his life would take on an entirely new course once he learns Wataru's secret…

Rating: T

A/N: As usual, my first thought is thanks to those who reviewed: Pikeebo (your review made my day as well), Billy, and Amy Levi. Those that have faved me as well are greatly appreciated.

It was certainly interesting to read the different takes on the interactions between Wataru and Yuichi. I tried to keep in mind how much Yuichi simply enjoys picking on Wataru and how much Wataru lets him get away with it in the novels. Also, I chose to omit mentioning there not being the social stress of a same-sex relationship, which is a major influence on their behavior in the novels so there's a little more wiggle room for me there.

Well, that's all I can think of now, see you briefly after the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: Leaps and Bonds

**One month later**

Time passed quickly for Wataru within the facility. It was a nice change to be surrounded by people with powers they were only just beginning to control, unlike how he'd been raised where not knowing control was intolerable. There was a level of acceptance he hadn't experienced anywhere else and would be unlikely to find anywhere again. He felt a peace of mind he had never known before if the complacent and easy to control powers he was living with were any indication.

Furthermore, his contact with Yuichi Kazuki was constant and comforting. When he'd first parted ways with the older trainee, he hadn't really expected to be sought out like he obviously was. After the sparring match they'd engaged in – another regular occurrence between them – Yuichi had spent the remainder of the day with Wataru, making an excuse to the battle instructor so he could stay there while the evaluation and placements were being completed. Yuichi's friend, Han, was also a regular figure in Wataru's life but his presence didn't have the same effect as Yuichi's did. Just being in the same room as the older teen gave Wataru a sense of calm he couldn't explain. It filled him mind, body and soul and he couldn't help but begin to feel a sort of dependence develop between himself and the older teen.

This sensation, however, was kept carefully concealed on Wataru's part. It was difficult to accurately read what Yuichi thought and felt without tapping into his powers – something Wataru was unwilling to rely on – and so there was no way of really knowing if he felt the strength of the emotions between them as well. The prince also knew that Han had exceptional Empowered Sensitivity and to alter the growing connection between Yuichi and himself might expose too much.

The secrecy did little to inhibit his interactions, though, and his friendship with the two thrived, well as much as it could with such a guarded person as Wataru was. Unfortunately, his relationship with Kawamura was suffering. His friend was fiercely opposed to Wataru getting too close to anybody at the facility, let alone the brother of Shohei Kazuki, who might expose the hiding prince. Kawamura had spent so much time protecting Wataru he found it hard to pull back from the role despite Wataru's insistence.

"When you give me a real reason to stop looking after you, I will," Kawamura had responded at a time Wataru was being annoyingly stubborn on the subject. The younger teen had yet to give a satisfactory response.

After all, how could he tell his best friend that all their hard work would be for nothing because Wataru was meant to be found out?

Wataru was making his way back to his room after his last course for the day when he felt the familiar approach of Yuichi and Han. It was unusual for them to be in this part of the dormitories, but the younger teen dismissed the thought; it wouldn't be the first time they had sought him out if they hadn't seen him in a few days. He slowed down his progress down the hall so that they would catch up to him and he wouldn't give away his knowledge of their approach. It wasn't too long before he was pulled into a playful embrace by Han – a usual greeting the older trainee had found just to irritate the reticent teen.

"Let me go, please," Wataru said almost immediately. Han moved away enough to look at him. It had been a long and exhausting day and he didn't have the same patience he usually allotted to Han and his antics.

"Something's wrong. You usually give me at least five seconds before you demand release. Yuichi, find out what's wrong," he demanded of his friend, who was behind him with his face in hand to display his exasperation.

"One of these days you're going to be missing a limb and I won't do anything to help you," Yuichi had given this warning the first time Han had jokingly embraced Wataru and had gotten a strong blow to his jaw, nearly breaking it, for his action. Instead of taking the warning for what it was, he took it as a challenge to not allow another unexpected strike. He was, after all, a Guardian in training and allowing a rookie to knock him out was unacceptable.

"If he meant to really hurt me he wouldn't have patched me up after hitting me," Han insisted as he always did when anyone dissuaded him from messing with Wataru in the manner he did. When he had punched the Empowered teen, Wataru had felt so bad that he had tapped into his Healing abilities and had mended the damage before he remembered that Gifted and Empowered weren't capable of healing in the same manner. He had panicked and tried to come up with an explanation but Han had gotten so caught up with being struck in the first place that he seemed to dismiss and forget the rest completely. Yuichi had allowed the subject to slide as well, but Wataru knew he was aching to question him about it.

"The day is coming where Yuichi might be made an honest man," Wataru threatened as his frustration continued to grow as Han's arm remained around his shoulders. His Post-Cognition was boiling through to the surface and he was sure he'd start seeing Han's life at any second. He was using all his concentration to suppress the power, but his tired mind was making it near impossible.

Yuichi looked at Wataru: something really was wrong. Wataru was a generally passive individual and he didn't threaten anybody outright like he was right now. Not seriously in any case.

He'd had the random urge to see Wataru today – something that happened often in a variety of intensity – and he was suddenly grateful that he'd answered the desire. Unfortunately, it seemed that the first thing he'd have to do would be to get rid of Han and that was sometimes a very difficult thing to do. But it couldn't be helped: Wataru only really opened up when it was just the two of them.

"Han, let him go," Yuichi instructed in a tone Han would respond to immediately, which he did and Yuichi watched Wataru visibly relax minutely.

"You two are turning into boring old coots. No fun at all," Han complained.

"I could always call Kawamura to join the group," Wataru threatened in a more joking manner now that the pressure on his powers was released.

Han paled considerably. If Kawamura didn't like Yuichi, he downright hated Han because of how he pushed Wataru's boundaries. The first time the teen had seen Han make physical contact with Wataru, the punch the younger teen had delivered was nothing compared to the rune Kawamura placed on him that bound his five natural senses for the rest of the day. "No thanks, I like to keep my meetings with him as non-existent as possible."

"Good plan. His temper's much shorter than mine, as I'm sure you've noticed by now."

_Time to run interference,_ Yuichi decided as he grabbed the cloak Wataru was never seen without – making sure to grab low enough that it wouldn't fall out of place around his head – and pulled him in the direction of the younger teen's room. "Han, you've done enough for one day. I'll catch you later when you've become more tolerable."

Han glared for only a second before he grinned. Every time he pressed Wataru's comfort zone, Yuichi became more protective of the dark-haired boy and the potential bond between them became more defined. Sure, he may one day lose a limb for his actions, but he would never regret helping his friend and the one intended to be protected by him.

Wataru looked back to Han and caught a glimpse of the victorious smirk on the teen's face before they turned a corner. Han was up to something – had been for weeks – but Wataru couldn't put his finger on what it could possibly be.

"I can't recall you losing your patience that quickly with him," Yuichi said, as usual cutting straight to the point now that it was only the two of them.

"I just didn't feel like dealing with him today. It's been a long day in training," he'd been dangerously close to his control breaking on his Post-Cognition and it would have knocked him out to experience anybody else's life at this moment in his development.

"You would have been alright. I've never known you not to do exactly what you meant to."

Yuichi was – as always – disturbingly astute in his understanding of Wataru's moods.

"Everybody loses control at some point, no matter how much training they've had, especially when there's something unfamiliar in the mix."

_I must be tired to be saying this so easily,_ Wataru noted absently.

Yuichi took a moment to consider what Wataru could mean by "unfamiliar". It was a strange term for the subject matter. The lives of new trainees were ruled by habit and order to help their progress. When he couldn't figure it out, he simply pressed, "Unfamiliar?"

Wataru's black eyes made contact with grey ones in a manner they often didn't: sizing Yuichi up for an answer. "Everything that happens here is unfamiliar. The people, the dormitories, lunch hall, ways of handling powers, all the way down to the clothes." There was a heavy silence and Yuichi moved his hand from gripping Wataru's cloak to brush along skin on the arm that wasn't covered by the short-sleeved shirt. The touch was brief, as were all the ones Yuichi pressed on Wataru, but it spoke more than any verbal encouragement. "The only thing that grounds me is you. Not even Kawamura can focus me like you can."

Wataru had made similar admissions after only a few times spending time with the older teen. Every time Yuichi managed to coax these kinds of statements from the dark-haired boy, it seemed to come easier. It was something he would never tire of hearing: he was a Guardian after all and his kind thrived on being depended upon. He felt such joy to know that Wataru depended on him as he wanted him to.

"Wataru, you know how much it means to me to hear you say that. I know that it takes a lot for you to admit such a thing to anybody, and I feel like I should tell you something that is just as real and important to me." As Yuichi spoke, he allowed the brushing contact he had with Wataru's arm to become a grasp and he was encouraged by Wataru's continued acceptance of touch he usually didn't tolerate.

"What is it?" Wataru's voice was small and the tone was unlike anything he'd ever heard before.

Just as Yuichi was about to speak, a voice called Wataru's name and they both jumped and turned to see Kawamura jogging up toward them.

Yuichi nearly growled in frustration. Did Kawamura have some sort of homing rune on Wataru that told him when he needed to interrupt to be the most damaging to their relationship? It seemed to always happen like this.

As Kawamura approached, his eyes fell on Yuichi's grip that remained on Wataru's arm and he glared up at the older trainee. He didn't press it any further than that though as he turned to Wataru. "Word on the grounds is we've got royal guard coming for evaluations of new Defenders. They'll be here within the next few weeks."

Yuichi and Wataru both tensed at the news for completely different reasons that led to the same possibility: they might be separated. Yuichi would be among the students evaluated and if he was accepted he would be done at the facility. Wataru was very likely to be discovered if the Defenders that came knew his true identity as they would sense his presence the moment they entered the facility.

While Wataru's reaction was exactly what Kawamura expected, he was surprised by Yuichi's matching response.

"Have you heard if my brother is coming?" Yuichi asked.

"He should be since he has to approve all applications anyway. Why?" Kawamura responded, too confused to remember he didn't like to talk to Yuichi.

"In the past, the evaluation and approval have been different stages of training. Now it's done at the same time to speed up the process. My brother won't allow me _not_ to be evaluated. My training is too far along and my performance is too good."

"I see. You don't want to join the ranks yet?"

"There's something else I need to take care of before I dedicate my life to the King." Yuichi subconsciously squeezed Wataru's arm.

Kawamura noticed the motion and a response came to mind that he had to deeply consider before it came out since it could possibly expose more than Wataru would be happy with. Then again, it seemed like his friend was already too far into whatever it was between the two of them and it was only a matter of time before he would tell Yuichi the truth about who he was. Decision made Kawamura spoke quietly, "The Defenders aren't only about dedication to the King." Yuichi's eyes narrowed in confusion at the statement and the hall became silent.

Wataru's mind was racing wildly. _If Shohei comes here, I'll be exposed for sure. Enough people are familiar with me being around that leaving is out of the question. They would be talking about it and Shohei would catch my name and he'd be right on my trail._ Feeling the grip on his arm tighten brought Wataru's mind back to Yuichi and what he had come to mean to him. _Maybe it's time I took the chance with Yuichi. He wants to protect me, I know it. If we Bond…_

"Thank you for the heads up, Kawamura. It was certainly something we needed to know as soon as possible." The tone was official and as close to royal habits Wataru got these days.

Kawamura saw the dismissal for what it was and he nodded his understanding. He turned to walk away with a heavy sigh. Something had been about to happen between the two when he'd approached and he had a feeling he'd just ensured that it would occur. Before his news of Shohei possibly showing up, they might have worked out of it, but now they wouldn't back down.

"Damn it. So much for my protection detail," he muttered.

* * *

Wataru closed the door to his room behind him and leaned against it as Yuichi stood just in front of him. They both felt the charge in the room between them and there was no hope of them ignoring it any longer. The threat of separation was too strong of an influence on their thoughts and actions.

"You were going to tell me something," Wataru pressed the conversation to begin.

Yuichi turned and faced Wataru, noting the immediate urge to be closer to the younger teen. "I don't want to be apart from you, Wataru," Yuichi began. Before Kawamura had spoken to them, he might have managed a more tactful discussion but he just couldn't bring himself to do that now. "I want to Bond with you so you can't be taken away from me. Please tell me you want the same thing." Yuichi closed the small distance between them and grasped the smaller hand in his own. He sounded desperate to his own ears and only hoped that Wataru didn't notice his weakness as that.

Wataru noted the contact and the lack of pressure on his powers that meant more than words ever could. Yuichi was meant to touch him and he was meant to care for Yuichi.

But first, Yuichi had to know who he really was. The possible betrayal of trust may make it impossible to Bond.

"I want the same thing." Before he could say anything else, Yuichi closed the remaining distance between them and touched his lips to Wataru's. There was such a surge of emotion between the two teens that both of their bodies flared with power briefly; Yuichi's with the internal glow of the Empowered and Wataru's heartbeat and skin pulsed with the hum of the Enlightened. After the initial surge, they pulled away enough to lock gazes.

"I need to tell you something so don't do that again," Wataru said in a quiet but accusing tone. He was struggling to reign in the power trying to reach out and accept Yuichi. "It can't wait and it may affect our ability to Bond." Yuichi's eyes narrowed but his proximity didn't change.

Knowing only a lack of trust could interfere with the possibility of Bonding, Yuichi had to ask, "You think you could have betrayed my trust in you that much already?" He couldn't imagine what it could possibly be that Wataru was hiding.

That pulse mere moments ago was a suspicious indicator, though.

"I hope not." Needing to feel relief, Wataru moved Yuichi's hand to his cheek and just took in the sensation of being touched without having to control his powers. "I'm more than I've said," he began. _I can do this._ "I've been in hiding for the past two years. I am called Aran and I am the youngest prince of the Nobunaga family." _And there it is._ It was easy to slip into old habits of introduction, but once the words were out, his anxiety returned full force.

Yuichi, for his part, was stuck contemplating the admission. He couldn't help but think back to their first meeting when there had been something in Wataru's posture and manner that had caught his attention. Now he saw it for what it was: royal upbringing. He considered pulling away, but his instincts made him feel that it wasn't what he should do. The anxiety Wataru was feeling was almost palpable and his grip on Yuichi's hand seemed to be the only thing keeping him from bolting from the room.

Wataru's nerves increased as the silence continued and he answered the urge to explain further. "My real name is Wataru Fujii. It's a defense to have an identity nobody knows. All Enlightened have two names: our real name and our Shield."

"Shield?" Yuichi prompted as it was an unfamiliar term for a power.

"An image of perception influenced by the name we give. A name is more than a word to us: it is an entire identity. We create an identity that is safe for others to be familiar with but it holds no power over us. Names are the weakness of the Enlightened and the quickest way to overcome us is to bind our real name."

"So you go around using the name that weakens you?" Yuichi's protectiveness over Wataru flared to the surface at that knowledge. Was he trying to get himself killed? His mind was racing over all their interactions for any other hints that might have given him a chance to have known this before it being told to him. Something occurred to him immediately: he had only once actually witnessed Wataru use any powers in the time he had known him. It wasn't nearly enough to form a frame of reference to notice that something was different.

Kawamura's behavior suddenly made complete sense as it was obvious that he knew the truth.

"Better than using the one everyone knows. I only have the two and it takes a lot of traceable power to create a new Shield. If I called myself another name, the Shield would automatically activate and I would expose myself."

Silence returned to the room and Yuichi reflected on what he knew of the person in front of him. When Prince Aran – Wataru – had vanished two years ago, he'd barely turned fourteen years old. It was hard to believe that he could have that great of an understanding of what he did. "You really knew what you were doing when you left your family?"

The response wasn't initially verbal: Wataru's jet black eyes flashed green and Yuichi could feel a sudden pressure in the room, which he identified immediately as the smaller teen's power. He'd never been exposed to anything so potent before and the knowledge that the source was Wataru was difficult to accept. The pressure lifted quickly though as Wataru was able to suppress his reaction to the accusation.

"I have some of the best eyes in the world. They see everything I need them to see. Not even time can block my Vision." There was strength to Wataru's voice that Yuichi simply couldn't even consider doubting the words as truth. There was also a tone of respect for the power that told him Wataru wasn't bragging in the least, just stating a fact. Seemingly aware of Yuichi's acceptance, Wataru's eyes returned to their natural dark color. Yuichi figured that meant it was safe to question further.

"So you knew what you were doing, but what exactly was it? Nobody knows what happened to you, not even Shohei."

Wataru sighed and finally broke the contact between them as he moved away from the door and past Yuichi to sit on the edge of his bed. "There was a series of events that were going to lead to the failure of negotiations between Gifted and Empowered. War would have broken out again and the Regions would have fallen in upon themselves."

"You knew the source of the events?" Wataru nodded confidently.

"It was the announcement of me and my brothers taking over control of the four border Regions while my father retained command of the Diamond Region." Yuichi had never heard of such an announcement. King Noal ruled all five Regions unequivocally and is sons carried out his orders. "My disappearance stopped that from happening and my father retained his position. The people weren't ready for a shift in the chain of command at that time, especially to a bunch of teenagers. It wouldn't matter now, but at the time it would have destroyed everything."

"What about you?" Wataru looked confused. "If the people can handle it now, why haven't you gone home?" At the clarification, Wataru looked sheepish. There was a good minute of silence before Wataru answered.

"Two reasons: first of all, I enjoy being free. Royal life doesn't suit me very well – too regal and organized." Yuichi couldn't suppress the smirk at that admission. Even though there were certainly small things in Wataru's actions that were obviously – now that he knew – products of being raised as royalty, the smaller teen had a certain unrefined air about him. He must have felt so oppressed in that livelihood. "Second, I'm just worried about going home and facing my family. I didn't tell them what I knew and that I was going to leave. My father didn't know I had developed such strong Vision and so I couldn't tell him without getting in trouble and then he would have reacted emotionally by continuing with the announcement. My disappearance had to be complete and honest. I cut myself off from the Link with my family and used Influence on everybody around me so that they would dismiss my absence from their minds for a few days so I could get out of the Region." Yuichi was about to ask for clarification when Wataru explained without prompt, seeming to be unable to stop talking now that he'd gotten going. "Nobody could say when they actually realized I hadn't been around. Whenever the thought entered their mind, it would be overcome with the certainty that they had seen me in passing not too long ago."

There it was: the realization to Yuichi as to how powerful this person really was. There was no such thing for a Gifted or Empowered as altering or influencing memories. It simply wasn't possible with the nature of their abilities. Yet here Wataru was explaining his act of doing just that on a somewhat large scale when he was fourteen years old. Yuichi had just barely started practicing meditation exercises when he was that age. Wataru had hid from just about everybody in the Five Regions while they searched for him for two years. He'd spent a month in a facility which exposed him in unavoidable ways as the limits of control were purposefully threatened to challenge their developing control.

And he'd told Yuichi because he wanted to be able to Bond with him.

Yuichi loved him all the more for the chance he'd just taken.

Wataru's eyes were lowered to the floor as another silence overtook the room. Yuichi was still there so something had to be going right for him, but it was hard to keep positive about what was happening between them. After all, nothing good seemed to happen to him whenever Aran was brought into the picture. Why should that change simply because he wanted it to work out?

A shadow loomed over him and a warm hand cupped his cheek and lifted his head so that he was looking into emotion filled grey eyes. Yuichi kneeled down in front of Wataru and black eyes followed him carefully. Wataru was obviously still defensive about what was going to happen and Yuichi decided to relieve the younger teen quickly.

"You've done so much for everybody. You sacrificed a life of safety and comfort for the sake of the people in the Regions. You are a special person, Wataru Fujii." Wataru's eyes filled with an array of emotions. Yuichi could tell he was trying to keep from getting too hopeful though. "Even now, you risked Bonding in telling me the truth and you didn't have to." Yuichi's hand moved from his cheek to card through his hair and rested on the nape of his neck and Wataru's eyes fluttered at the comforting sensation. "I think it's time someone thought about you for a change and I'm more than willing to be that person. I love you and I want to Bond with you."

Wataru exhaled in relief and his lips were overcome by Yuichi's once again. He relaxed instantly into the feel of Yuichi's acceptance of who he was as his hands hesitantly reached out to increase his contact with Yuichi by resting on the chest in front of him. Yuichi other hand moved around his back and pulled him closer against him. The increase in physical contact made Wataru's body heat spike but he still felt no pressure on his powers and he couldn't help but let out a small moan of relief.

This could really work.

Yuichi pulled away slowly but stayed close enough that he could still feel Wataru's breath on his moist lips. Wataru's eyes stayed closed as he attempted to gather his rampaging thoughts into something resembling order, a task made somewhat difficult by Yuichi's continued close proximity. He just wanted the other teen to kiss him again.

"Are you okay?" Yuichi asked after a pause when Wataru still wouldn't open his eyes. Wataru let out a soft laugh at Yuichi's concerned question.

"I'm fine, you just aren't very encouraging of collected thinking for me." Yuichi felt a rush of pride strike at that comment. He couldn't keep the urge from continuing to agitate Wataru from occurring and he leaned forward again and pressed another chaste kiss to Wataru's lips. Just as the other teen responded, he pulled back and smirked at the frustrated growl Wataru let out as black eyes finally opened to glare at him. "That wasn't funny."

"It was on my end."

"You do realize that we can't actually Bond if I don't have myself under control, right?"

Deciding that he had plenty of time to mess with Wataru once they were Bonded, he threw something out for the Enlightened to focus on other than his close contact, which he wasn't quite willing to give up yet. "So how does this work for an Enlightened? Gifted and Empowered have something tangible, like a piece of jewelry, that has a great amount of their power imbedded in it that they give to each other and it interacts with their own power and creates the Bond between them."

"It's the same principle, but without the objects. I will expose the core of our powers and they will reach out to each other and the contact will fuse them together. The interaction is much more potent and we will be a lot closer than other Bond."

Yuichi couldn't have been happier to hear that. His Bond with Wataru would be better than any other Bond. He would have something with the dark haired teen that nobody else would have. On the other hand, the mention of their cores was intimidating. Cores were the source of all power for any kind of power and manipulation of them on the level Wataru was talking about was something few Empowered were just beginning to experiment with. It was dangerous work since one wrong move would kill them.

Then again, Wataru _was_ an Enlightened so it might not be as new of a concept for him. His explanation had been rather pointed and seemingly informed.

"Then let's begin. What do I need to do?"

"I don't know. Just bear with me." Wataru had never exposed another person's core before and he was only slightly familiar with the concept, despite it being a relatively basic skill for his kind. He thought back to the brief explanation he had been given when his father told him of how he and his mother had Bonded so long ago. He also had to adapt it to accommodate the different core that Yuichi would have because he was Empowered. He just had to trust that his powers wouldn't do anything to hurt Yuichi and he focused on the task at hand.

_Work your way through the barriers of the mind and body. Only then will the core expose itself as the last layer of protection. If you are close to them, their defenses should not resist you. Your instincts will guide you._

Wataru managed to clear his mind of anything else except Yuichi and his hands trailed up Yuichi's chest and neck, searching for what felt right. When his hands settled on Yuichi's cheeks, he felt something click in his mind and he left his hands in place. He was close to something, but it still wasn't right. His eyes focused on the teen in front of him and the intense gaze staring back at him. He was able to focus a lot better now that the intense emotions brought on by their confessions to each other had somewhat passed. Now he was able to reign in his powers and what he would need to draw out Yuichi's core.

It was more out of simply needing more physical contact that Wataru's head touched Yuichi's and he gasped at the flare in his sense of the Empowered that told him he had found what he needed to do what he was supposed to be doing. He focused on the feel of the source of Yuichi's powers as it pulsed in time with his heartbeat, settled in the depths of Yuichi's mind.

So the whole being close to them was literal…

Yuichi's eyes narrowed slightly as he felt a strange sensation spread throughout his body. His powers were flaring to the surface without him calling on them and he could swear they were affecting the air around the two of them, despite that it was impossible for them to do so. Had Wataru drawn out his core? As if in response, his body temperature spiked and his sight blurred as all the types of Vision he was capable of seemed to try and take priority all at the same time.

Wataru noticed the change in Yuichi's demeanor and felt him try and regain control of his powers and his fingers tightened against Yuichi temple to get his attention away from the task. "It'll pass in a minute. Your core is just responding to freedom. I'm going to draw mine out now so try and stay focused on something physical or you might go blind with your Vision in full swing."

Yuichi nodded his understanding and quickly picked Wataru's hands gripping his face as his focal point since it would probably defeat the purpose if he chose something to look at. He felt the varying strength in Wataru's pressure on his grip as his attention shifted inward and he pulled out his own power's core. The nearly immediate response told Yuichi that Wataru was much more familiar with manipulating his core and made a mental note to ask him about that later. The air around the two teens seemed to come alive with activity as the Enlightened core was exposed to the room and it released a burst of energy as if it was breathing a sigh of relief. Wataru allowed his control over the core to remain lax as he turned his attention back to Yuichi's core.

_The core of our power is meant to reach out and touch each other. That's why we can Bond whether we're Gifted, Empowered, or Enlightened. We're just the only ones that can pull the cores out. Once the cores are exposed, all you need to do is guide them together and they'll do all the work for you. Then just put everything back where you pulled it out from._

His father's explanation echoed in his mind as he maneuvered the cores toward each other. It didn't take much prompting before Wataru felt his power reach out and make contact with Yuichi's. Yuichi drew in a deep breath at the same time and Wataru knew he felt it as well. _We feel the same…_

The Bond didn't need too much time and within seconds, Wataru felt his core settle down – as if it was content with what had just happened – and he pulled it back into where it belonged deep within his heart. He then turned his attention to the Empowered core and worked to replace it within the depths of Yuichi's mind. Once the task was complete and things were back as they were supposed to be, Wataru suddenly felt the strain of what he'd done and slumped against Yuichi heavily. He was immediately embraced carefully and Yuichi steadied him, his grey eyes filling with concern at his sudden inability to stay upright.

"Wataru?" Yuichi's tone matched his gaze as he called out to him. Working to pull himself together enough to sit upright without help, Wataru responded without hesitation.

"I'm fine, that was just a lot of work. I mean, damn, that was hard."

Yuichi rose up enough to sit beside Wataru on the bed as he shook his head at the response. Wataru's time as a Nomad and the vocabulary that went along with it always came through when he was tired or stressed. He was about to respond when he realized that he was aware of Wataru's exhaustion by more than how much weight the smaller teen was putting on him in order to stay upright. He could feel how deeply Wataru was worked in order to Bond them as he had done.

They were Bonded.

"I love you, Wataru," the words escaped him before he could put another thought together, not that he would have stopped himself from saying it again. Wataru looked up at him and, despite his exhaustion, his entire face lit up in a smile unlike Yuichi had ever seen before on anybody. If he thought Wataru was good-looking before, the teen was downright beautiful at the moment. He would do anything to see that expression again.

"I love you, too, Yuichi," Wataru responded and he leaned forward and their lips met once again as if punctuating the newly formed Bond between them.

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A/N: And there you have it. I took a gamble skipping over that month between the two but anything I tried to work in just didn't turn out good enough in my opinion to be included and my satisfaction with what I write is very important to me. Besides, my focus on their relationship for the story is what happens after the Bonding. I hope that I gave enough of a feel of the progress acceptably and it didn't feel rushed. And come on, they stayed friends for a month where they were both aware that something was different between them.

On a different note: I'll admit, I didn't expect to use the character of Han as much as I do, but his character just worked its way in so well and he's just a blast to write.

We'll see how quickly I get the next chapter transcribed as the last week or so I've gotten so into what I'm writing by hand that not much has gotten done on the computer. I'll try to split it as evenly as possible to get the next chapter up, but we'll see. All in all, I'm happy with the progress and look forward to seeing what other people think as well.

Please review with anything you want to say. I like hearing from anybody willing to say something.

Have a great day.

Until next time,

Kira Dattei


	5. Chapter 4: Sibling Rivalry

Story: The Five Regions  
Author: Kira Dattei  
Chapter: 4/15ish  
Word Count: 6,813  
Summary: AU – In a world where a majority of the population is born with special abilities, peace has only just been found between the Gifted and the Empowered thanks to the Enlightened Nobunaga family. Yuichi Kazuki, a highly skilled Empowered, is nearing the completion of his training and getting ready to go into the world as a Guardian of the people when his life is changed forever by the appearance of a new trainee by the name of Wataru Fujii. He reaches out to this person, never expecting that his life would take on an entirely new course once he learns Wataru's secret…  
Rating: T  
A/N: As always, my first thoughts are of those that reviewed and faved the story. Thank you for the reviews Pikeebo, xbluerainbowx, Ami Levi (your review was very helpful to looking back over what I've written. Thank you!), and yumenohime-sama. There were also quite a few more followers and faves for the story picked up since chapter 3 was posted and I am grateful for that as well.  
A quick note for those who have been following and have already read the prologue, I have added a little more to it that introduces Bonding. It's only a few paragraphs close to the beginning so I suggest checking that out. It was an oversight that I felt needed to be addressed sooner rather than later and I thank Ami Levi for pointing it out to me. That is why I ask for constructive crtiticism!  
Well, that's all I can think of now, see you briefly after the chapter. Enjoy!

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Chapter 4: Sibling Rivalry

Yuichi and Wataru requested to be moved into a shared room to accommodate their new Bond. Since Bonds were very fragile in the first few months – the risk of the connection breaking without the two spending considerable time together – their request was approved without any trouble. With all the trainees that passed through the facility, it wasn't uncommon for Bonds to be formed and they were always respected. After all, broken Bonds caused the cores irreparable damage and any abilities couldn't be used while both partners recovered from the shock to their minds and cores. It was rare for those involved with a broken Bond to be able to reconnect again, especially with the depth of the connection Wataru had been able to create between them.

If their Bond was broken, Wataru was sure Yuichi probably wouldn't survive the experience without previous exposure to core manipulation.

Yuichi took other precautions as well. The day after Wataru had Bonded them – before the Enlightened could realize the potential problem – Yuichi had gotten a hold of a pair of rings that would be the physical representation everyone expected to need for Bonds. The rings were a simple silver design with a thin gold line through the center and Wataru had felt his heart swell when the ring had been placed on his finger, like there was actually some level of bond being formed with the exchange. It was a strange sensation for Wataru to feel so elated by something that held no real significance.

It was about two weeks after they had Bonded and life carried on in the facility with few people being affected by this seemingly monumental change.

Han was being insufferably smug about the whole thing.

Kawamura was becoming strangely distant.

Wataru was settling into being able to be completely honest and open with someone for the first time in a long time.

Yuichi was a nervous wreck.

At least that's the impression Wataru got when he walking into their room and Yuichi was pacing around the limited space. "Hey Yuichi," he greeted as he slipped his cloak from around his shoulders and hung it across the back of a nearby chair. Yuichi turned in his pacing and walked over to Wataru and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead – a habit he'd developed quickly since he didn't have to lean down to do so and it reminded him of the moment of their Bonding. Before Yuichi could back away, Wataru grabbed his arm and touched his lips to the taller teen's in a proper kiss, causing a small smile to cross his partner's face. "What's going on?"

"I just heard that Shohei is at the facility. He's going to start reviews for Defender candidates tomorrow," Yuichi explained.

Wataru suppressed his initial urge to grab his cloak right back off the chair and make an immediate exit. He had spent so long staying away from anything and everything remotely related to the Defenders it was difficult to shrug that reaction. Anyway, he wouldn't be able to just disappear as easily now that he was Bonded – it would be a long time before they were close enough for his powers to cover Yuichi as they did him.

"Oh," he simply responded as he pulled the chair out to sit in it heavily. "I thought we'd have more time for our Bond to get some solid foundation." When Kawamura had told them about Shohei's impending visit, Wataru had been hoping a few weeks would mean something closer to a month away as it usually did when travel with the Captain of the Defenders between Regions was involved.

Yuichi crouched in front of him and took his hands in a secure and comforting grip. "Our Bond is strong, Wataru, strong enough to take off like you want to." Wataru leaned forward and rested his forehead against Yuichi's. "Why don't you just Look and see what might happen?"

A heavy sigh preceded the answer. "I haven't tried to Look at anything since I left the Diamond Region. I've been too afraid of what would happen." Looking through time had unpredictable – never good – effects on him. He'd fallen into a coma more than a few times. Out of everything he was capable of, he feared seeing the future the most. Yuichi must have picked up on the underlying emotion because he lifted one hand to card through the hair at the nape of Wataru's neck to soothe the feeling.

"What do you want to do? I'll agree to anything you choose."

"But Shohei is your brother.'

"And you are the one I'm Bonded to. I chose to dedicate my life and protection to you. Shohei will accept my choice – he made the choice just the same when he Bonded to his wife. He might even commend me for doing my duty by Bonding with the long-lost prince." Yuichi finished with a teasing grin. He turned Wataru's identity into a joke or subject of teasing at every opportunity.

"I'm not going anywhere," Wataru declared as if Yuichi hadn't spoken. "I've known that I would be exposed at some point while at this facility, but didn't know the extent of the exposure." He let out a wry laugh. "I was hoping that the extent of my exposure would be limited to telling you, but it looks like I'm going home. Should have known it wouldn't work out easy for me." Yuichi's expression made it obvious that he wasn't satisfied with Wataru's decision, so he pressed on. "I can't _not_ go back to being a Nobunaga, no matter how much I love the freedom. My family will need me and I am an Enlightened. There's just too much responsibility to shirk forever."

"They've done fine without you for two years," Yuichi muttered before he shook off his dark mood. "Don't think that I'm going to take my responsibility to you any less serious. Your family and my brother are just going to have to get used to that."

Wataru smiled as his mind wandered over the image of the very protective Yuichi going against his very protective father and siblings. Despite his passive nature, he couldn't help but think the disputes that would be guaranteed to occur would be amusing to no end. His smile must have given away the thought process because Yuichi gave a tug to the hair he had been playing with.

"So we stay and face Shohei?" Yuichi asked one last time.

"We stay," Wataru confirmed. "Besides, the worst that's going to happen is we're going to get lectured."

"Have you ever had Shohei lecture you?" Yuichi asked, only joking a little.

"No, I put on my 'best behaved little prince' act for your brother. He's kinda scary when he's in teacher mode. More so when he goes all 'Defender' on someone." Wataru shuddered at the thought of the last time he'd witnessed Shohei's powers at work. "I don't wish Shohei on anybody."

"I don't either, but you've never met my niece and sister-in-law. Now there are people I wouldn't wish on my enemies." Yuichi stood up, leaning forward enough for another touch of lips against his partner's. "Well, we have maybe until tomorrow before you get to face off against the big guy. Do you have preferences on how to spend the time?" Yuichi finished in a tone Wataru hadn't heard from him before. Wataru narrowed his eyes suspiciously and Yuichi glanced over at the bed and then back to Wataru with a suggestive raising of his eyebrow. Wataru felt his face heat up at the implication but he was able to quickly dismiss the flustered reaction and gave Yuichi a glare.

"Let's try not to do something else to infuriate your brother. We'll strengthen the Bond through our regular training."

The rest of the day was spent going through drills they had developed to strengthen the Connection between them. The drills were designed to expose their powers to each other in different levels of intensity. The constant interaction between them became the foundation of a stronger Bond between them.

The next morning, Shohei sent an official invitation to Yuichi to attend an evaluation of his capabilities as a Guardian and the chance to be considered for a position as a Defender. Yuichi dressed in his uniform while Wataru – who was allowed to go along because he was Bonded to Yuichi – settled for more comfortable attire, complete with cloak and hood drawn. They made their way to the training grounds where the evaluation was supposed to take place.

Stopping right outside their destination, Yuichi pulled Wataru against him, pushing the hood back enough to see his partner's eyes. He could see the nervous edge to Wataru's eyes and he leaned down to kiss him deeply, feeling like he needed to show any bit of intimacy he could to calm the smaller teen down. It seemed to work as he ended the kiss and moved away enough to see a dazed smile on Wataru's lips. "Voyeur," Wataru accused as he pulled away from Yuichi as his face turned bright red. Seeing a smug grin on his partner's face, he pulled his hood forward and back into its place. He turned his back on Yuichi and made his way into the building that had come to represent his exposure.

There were a few other Guardian trainees present – the evaluation was split into numerous brackets to make it easier on Shohei to adequately observe them. There were six other Defenders present to help with the administration of the tests, but it was the eighth visitor that froze Wataru in his place just inside the door. Yuichi looked at Wataru in confusion as all willingness to proceed seemed to drain from the smaller teen.

"Wataru, what is it?" he breathed, knowing that the Bond would carry the message to Wataru despite him not actually speaking. It was a skill they had discovered in their drills a few days ago and they had been experimenting with the ability ever since.

"It's Kohaku," Wataru replied automatically. The response puzzled Yuichi as he went through all the names and information Wataru had told him over the weeks until he locked in on the name of Wataru's oldest brother who he had always known as Keiran Nobunaga. He quickly understood Wataru's utter shock as his Guardian instincts kicked in and he moved to stand between his partner and the one who threatened him even if it was an emotional threat.

"What's he doing here?"

"He must be taking a more direct role in the Guardians and Defenders. He shares authority over the defense of the Regions with my father."

"How long until he notices you?"

"I don't know. He would have come in with Shohei yesterday and I didn't have the slightest clue. When I left the Diamond Region, I severed the familial link between us so he might not notice unless I expose myself." Yuichi bristled at the thought of anyone else having some sort of connection with Wataru. "As long as the link has been severed, it shouldn't be easy to re-establish, brother or not. Unless Kohaku has gotten better at working with the links but that was always Karin's thing." Wataru was obviously saying whatever went through his mind and Yuichi stopped the flow by grabbing his hand and shooting a burst of power into the smaller tee n through their Bond. It worked as Wataru gasped and nearly responded with a burst of his own but caught himself in time and squeezed Yuichi's hand gratefully instead.

"You're fine, babe. Your brother being here doesn't change anything about the choice you made," Yuichi spoke louder that time to put the confidence into the message that Wataru needed to actually hear.

They were cut off by Han's voice calling out to Yuichi as the teen walked up to the pair. "How are my favorite little lovebirds doing?" Noting the tense posture of both teens, Han decided to forego his usual embracing greeting of Wataru – he didn't feel like getting clobbered right before his evaluation. A thought hit him suddenly. "Why are you here, Wataru?"

"He's here because we're Bonded," Yuichi responded.

Wataru hesitated for the duration of Yuichi's sentence before instructing Han to do the one thing that would expose him to the Empowered. "Look at me."

Blinking in confusion, it took Han a few blinks more than he'd like to admit to Look at Wataru. He had to push his way past the glare of the Bond between Yuichi and Wataru to find what the younger teen obviously wanted him to find. There it was though, a family link with someone in the room. He followed the link to the other side of the room where the evaluators were and honed in on the person on the other end: Prince Keiran Nobunaga.

His dumbfounded gaze found its way back to Wataru as he realized the truth immediately. "Prince Aran Nobunaga?" he whispered.

Wataru nodded shortly and readied himself to knock Han out if he lost it too exuberantly. He felt Yuichi do the same beside him.

"You're the Prince?" Han squeaked out. Wataru nodded again and tried not to grin. "Well that explains sooo much. Being connected to everybody. Not liking to get touched." He turned to Yuichi then. "Did you know that Prince Aran was supposed to be able to see the past as well as the future? All he had to do was touch something." He turned back to Wataru. "Does Kawamura know? Is that why he's so uptight about you? Wait, does that mean you're going back to being a Prince? What about Yuichi? He's going with you, right?"

"Shut up!" Yuichi and Wataru snapped in unison. Han's jaw snapped shut and Wataru rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

"So you already talked to Prince Rohn then?" Han asked, glancing at the link between the two again.

"No, I didn't know he was here. I don't have an active link to him," Wataru replied cautiously. He didn't like the implication of the query.

"Well, he probably knows you're here. The link between you is weak, but it's certainly active enough for him to feel your presence. You aren't very good at seeing Connections are you?"

Wataru's face flushed at Han's realization. "No, I can't see Connections at all. It took a lot of tricks to break the Link when I left." In fact, if he didn't have such great manipulation of his core, it wouldn't have been possible. He should have known this proximity wouldn't keep the Link from reforming. Families always had a strong link and the Enlightened had ones that were nearly palpable if they spent a great amount of time with each other.

But that did raise the question as to why Kohaku was letting him think he was still anonymous.

For the first time in over two years, Wataru actually looked at his oldest brother. As if sensing the now informed gaze, Kohaku looked back to him. Once their eyes made contact Wataru felt the Link flare back to life and his brother gave him a reassuring smile that he automatically relaxed at seeing.

He felt the air around him shift and he allowed his brother to manipulate his senses so that he could hear Kohaku speak, "We've got a lot to talk about, Wataru. Shall we get some privacy?" Wataru shuddered at the unnatural sensation of the manipulation and shook it off.

"Might as well get it over with," Wataru grabbed Yuichi's arm and pulled him toward his brother, who led them out of the facility and wasn't surprised when Shohei followed behind. They moved a good distance away from where people were crowding for the evaluations and made their way toward one of the smaller enclosed training fields not too far away. Once Wataru and Yuichi were through the door, Kohaku raised a multitude of barriers around them to ensure that their meeting remained private.

"Kohaku," Wataru said in a passive greeting as he pushed his hood off his head to rest at his neck. "Captain Kazuki," he nodded to Shohei.

"What an incredible surprise to see you here, Wataru," Kohaku responded. He allowed his big brother instincts to satisfy themselves by looking Wataru over to take in his general health and appearance. His baby brother looked…content and in control. That was unusual for Wataru as he'd never had the best control in the family. His eyes turned to the light-haired teen standing beside his brother and took in the defensive posture he had taken beside Wataru. He extended his senses and became irritated at the strong Bond between the two. "How nice of you to get yourself Bonded, and to Shohei's Empowered little brother no less. You've always been one for rash decisions but this might just be pushing it." While Kohaku certainly had much more tact in dealing with just about anything, there was no reason to act like Wataru was anything but his little brother. Wataru had to roll his eyes at Kohaku's vocal disapproval of his Bond with Yuichi. _Stupid overprotective jerk…_

"Would you please skip the 'I'm better and smarter than you' routine? I outgrew it a long time ago," Wataru bit back. He never did have the best patience with his oldest brother and it only took those few sentences to remind him why.

"You won't outgrow that as long as you are my brother."

Wataru actually scoffed at the ego displayed. "I'd say I outgrew it when I started making harder decisions than you when I was fourteen years old." Kohaku physically flinched at that reminder, but recovered quickly enough, falling into old habits of butting heads with Wataru.

"Speaking of that, would you like to inform this regular Enlightened as to what happened then? Or is it something that only a supreme being such as yourself would understand?"

Yuichi and Shohei exchanged incredulous looks at the growing hostility between the brothers. The two of them had, of course, had pretty serious disputes over the years, but nothing they'd gotten into had been as serious as these two were going at it. Yuichi had assumed by how Wataru spoke of his family that they were as close as siblings could be so to witness such a negative exchange was completely opposite of what he was expecting. Shohei, on the other hand, was more shocked at how quickly the two had settled into old habits of interaction. Those two had always been at each other's throats, especially toward the time Wataru had disappeared. In fact, Kohaku had been certain for a while that his verbal battles – for lack of a more accurate term – with Wataru had been the reason he left.

"Maybe I'd be more inclined to tell you if you actually seemed to care."

"You're my brother; of course I care." Kohaku was almost to the point of yelling, something that usually took much longer for Wataru to accomplish. Apparently his brother was no longer accustomed to dealing with someone who tested his temper.

"And I'm sure I said 'seemed' but as usual you didn't really hear me say anything. How the hell does Father think you should run our defenses?" Apparently Wataru wasn't as practiced as he thought he'd be since he couldn't help but close off his emotions and take on a cold and distant tone.

Yuichi felt something he hadn't sensed from Wataru in a long time: he was losing control over his powers. The last time that had happened was the morning after he had created the Bond between them and his powers had flared out of control with the new aspect to them that Wataru was unfamiliar with. "Okay, time to run interference on you guys before Wataru blows us up," he said in a calming but strong voice while he stepped between the two and took Wataru's hand. He felt tension leave the smaller teen immediately. Kohaku, on the other hand, seemed to only get more irritated at being cut off. Shohei noticed the reaction and moved closer to the Prince in case he needed to diffuse the situation.

It wouldn't be the first time he would have to come between the two resorting to a physical altercation.

"Don't insult me, trainee. I am perfectly capable of handling my little brother's temper tantrum," Kohaku growled.

Wataru bristled again but his control didn't waver. Yuichi was quick to continue his defense of his partner, "Are you so sure you could handle an Enlightened's angry response to the origin of the outburst? You have no idea what Wataru is capable of now. Anything you know about him is outdated and limited to what he chose to tell you."

Kohaku scoffed. "He's no stronger now than when he left two years ago. I don't need to look hard to tell that much."

"Maybe you should consider looking again a little harder before you make any further declarations. Also, consider making sure you can see past the barriers of our Bond and the ones he maintains. Then again, you are an Enlightened, so of course you considered that before you settled for what you saw on the surface." Yuichi was being influenced by a combination of emotions and for once didn't let etiquette keep him from speaking his mind. His partner needed to be protected and he would do so, never mind the consequences of mouthing off to the first Prince of the Five Regions.

"Playing with fire," Yuichi heard Wataru mutter, but the tone was amused and there was the sense that he was simply taking the task from Wataru. Encouraged by this realization, Yuichi prepared himself to continue to play with fire. He had to admit, it was kind of fun to just let go like this.

Apparently Shohei had a different opinion. "Yuichi, you will show respect to Prince Rohn," he snapped.

"Captain Kazuki, you will show my Bonded respect as well," Wataru jumped back in before the other siblings could get into anything. "His Bond to me places him at equal status to myself and Kohaku so he can speak however he chooses, especially when it comes to defending me." Shohei stuttered at the very true reminder. He had also forgotten how much of a bite Wataru could have, especially when he thought someone he cared about was being pushed around. Not only that, but he so rarely pulled his rank on anybody and the blatant reminder that Shohei officially had to take orders from him was completely unexpected.

Yuichi was shocked as well as he had never before witnessed this side of his partner. He liked it.

"Of course, Your Highness. Forgive my impertinence," Shohei relented, though it was obvious he wanted to do nothing of the sort. He had always had a problem being ordered around by the Enlightened children rather than the King.

"Hold on, Shohei. He can't just throw his title away like he did and then use it whenever it's convenient for him," Kohaku re-entered the argument and he turned on Wataru with an intense glare that displayed his many emotions on the topic. "You wanted to leave, you left, and now you're just another commoner."

"I'd like to see you try and get that past Father," Wataru retorted, not missing a beat at the jab. "Besides, you can't leave being Enlightened behind, which is not what I tried to do. If you really thought about what I did, you'd see my reasons."

"So you keep saying, but none of us know why you left. Father asked me to find you but there was nothing of our Link to follow, just shredded remains. Even Karin had to give up on you. Do you have any idea what we've gone through because you were just gone?" There was a break in Kohaku's voice that Wataru had been searching for. It meant he had finally pushed his brother enough to be just that instead of Prince Rohn Nobunaga. Out of all Kalen's children, Kohaku had always had the most difficulty separating his title from his identity and Wataru had always been the one to try and make him cross that line.

Now that he had been pushed into the emotional response, Kohaku realized what Wataru had done. He had been manipulated by his little brother.

…Again…

"Damn, I forgot how good you were at getting us to react how you wanted," he admitted gruffly. It was an oversight he was upset to have made.

"Would have taken longer without Yuichi. I knew he'd be a sore spot for you to have to accept."

The Kazuki brothers were officially lost. Not even Shohei, who had spent most of his teen and adult life around the Nobunaga family, was entirely sure what had just happened. He was sure he had a good handle on the relationship between all the siblings but he was sure he'd never witnessed this sort of interaction between the oldest and youngest of the children.

He also never thought Wataru could have vanished like he did.

There was still tension between the royal siblings, but there wasn't the hint of hostility that had been present so far. This was as good as the two got though as Wataru opened up for the first time in over two years to the Links of the Enlightened and allowed his brother to mend the thread of power that existed between them.

"If I had stayed and took over the Northern Crystal Region when I was supposed to, there would have been war," he disclosed the truth that he had only told Yuichi. Kohaku and Shohei were stunned by the sudden admission, but not as shocked by the content, especially Kohaku. He'd been in the midst of the crowds as the news of the Princes taking control of the Regions and the general response had been negative. People had felt betrayed by the King for leaving them in the hands of children, Enlightened or not. When Aran had vanished, the anger had been forgotten in light of finding the beloved prince.

"It had to be you, didn't it?" Yuichi vocalized his thought process as this was a topic he considered regularly since Wataru had told him about being an Enlightened. "None of your siblings had the public interactions you'd gotten."

"Your Healing escapades," Shohei realized. Those had been infuriating for him and the other Defenders to keep up with.

"Stop giving me so much credit. Those were about helping people as there aren't many Healing abilities out there." As a matter of fact, he was the only one they knew of who was capable of Healing on any level.

"How long did you know you were going to leave?" Kohaku had to know how long they'd all missed any signs.

"Since Father told us his decision to put us in our own Regions." Close to three months then. "I've been moving through the Regions regularly, keeping up with events as best as I could. A few months ago, my powers shifted again and I was in danger of losing control so I enrolled here. Once the application was submitted, I knew I would be exposed while here. I didn't Look to see anything about being found out, just felt that it would happen and accepted that it was time to let it."

Kohaku just stared at his brother as he told the details of the last few years of his life. He couldn't help wonder if he could have made the same choices if faced with the same options. "Wait, you knew without Looking?"

Wataru was momentarily caught off guard at the question before he realized the reason for it. "Right, that developed soon after I left: feelings of what might or would happen. It's certainly safer for me."

"Because viewing time is the most exhausting and exposing ability of an Enlightened."

Wataru shook his head while he wished it was as simple as an easily identifiable power. "It isn't safe for me. It's like my powers are going through a never ending trial-and-error, like there's nothing to tell my mind and body if something is a good idea or not." Wataru sighed heavily and his posture collapsed as much as it could while remaining standing. "Every day is like a fight with a part of myself that isn't supposed to work against me."

Yuichi reached out and took Wataru's hand again. His partner had expressed this frustration before and so he already had an understanding of Wataru's struggle. It was part of the reason he pressed their Bond so adamantly, to try and take some of that burden. Kohaku once again seemed irritated by the display of their relationship.

At the comforting contact of Yuichi's hand, Wataru drew in a deep breath and collected himself. "So, I'm here and you know it. What are you going to do about it?"

Shohei looked behind him to Kohaku. What choice of action did Wataru think there was? He was Prince Aran Nobunaga and he had to get back to that life where he belonged. He chose to voice his thoughts. "You belong with your family, My Lord. You are very important to the Regions, your family, and the Enlightened. Without you, many will suffer as they have in the time of your absence."

"And the suffering would have been worse if I'd chosen differently. My choice was an informed one."

"And your family and your position among them?"

"They are still keeping peace without me. I'm the youngest and I have unstable powers. Despite the strength of my abilities, I am a weak link to the ones I care about." Shohei couldn't ignore the fact that disaster would follow if anybody found out about the complication Wataru's powers were. An enemy could target the young teen and overload him to the point of his body and mind shutting down, leaving him defenseless.

…On the other hand…

"But isn't that the point of Bonding with someone, to overcome weaknesses like that?"

Wataru fumbled for a few seconds. He was relying on his powers to present a good enough argument – he didn't want to go back to being a prince. "Well yes, but we aren't anywhere close to the level of Bond where I'm being balanced by Yuichi. We've only just passed the point where it won't break from being separated for a day. And there's no telling if it will ever be strong enough to compensate for the difference in power between and Enlightened and an Empowered. So, no, I'm not relying on that and neither should you."

_He's exaggerating,_ Yuichi realized as Wataru squeezed his hand as he was speaking. He was trying to get Shohei and Kohaku to choose not to have him return to his position. He would go if they demanded it, despite how he felt.

He would sacrifice his life again for the sake of others.

This would not become a habit.

"Does Wataru really need to go back or would you just prefer he did so you don't risk losing him again?" Yuichi asked. Just maybe he could protect his partner for a little longer on his own. "Kohaku, you know your brother well enough to know he's doing well here. He's in control and he has people that care about him because they choose to. How many people does he have like that as a Nobunaga?" Kohaku's eyes dropped to the ground. He was getting more conflicted as time went on. "He has me as well. I will never allow him to be harmed in any way. I love him deeply and I won't see him become unhappy if I have anything to say about it. Going back will mean unhappiness for him."

"Enough," Kohaku's voice was low and even. Wataru's voice took a similar tone when he was covering nerves. There was a short pause as the man seemed to collect his thoughts. "I believe you, Yuichi Kazuki. You are correct in that Wataru doesn't want to give up his freedom." Once again the prince didn't fail to call it like it was. "So I will do the only thing I can and still feel like I did my duty as a Nobunaga _and_ a Fujii."

Wataru was surprised to feel Kohaku building up power. There was such elegance to how his brother manipulated his power that Wataru could tell that he was only collecting the exact amount of power he needed to accomplish whatever he had in mind and not the slightest amount more or less. Once the power was built up, it was focused into the intended purpose and Wataru tracked the source to Kohaku's skill in affecting connections. Just as the power was focused, there was a flare in the Bond between Wataru and Yuichi causing both teens to tense and Yuichi's body shifted automatically to cover Wataru.

"I'm giving you the role of Soul Protector, the position of an Enlightened's Bonded. You will be recognized as the only one equal to Wataru Fujii and will have the power to protect him from everything that threatens him." There was a tangible shift in the Bond that caused both Yuichi and Wataru to gasp at the sensation. The shift lasted only a few seconds, but once it faded there was a noticeable strength to the Bond that simply hadn't been there before. It was as if they had been joined for years instead of the mere weeks it had really been. Feeling somewhat dazed by the feeling, the two looked at each other, then back to Kohaku.

"Your Bond now reflects your true connection to each other: a powerful love and devotion that will see you through anything. More strength will come as you continue to train your Bond as you have been. I will tell Father and our siblings about you, but you will be left alone for the time being. However, we reserve the right to call you in if something comes up that we need you for."

There was a brief silence as Wataru processed what had just happened and he considered the implications of what this change in his Bond might mean for his powers. There were some things he would have to experiment with.

"That's fine. You're heading out tomorrow, right?" Kohaku nodded hesitantly, not understanding the reason for the query. "I'm going to take a Look tonight and I'll report what I find out to you before you leave."

Kohaku understood the dangers of the decision more than the Kazuki brothers and wanted to just tell Wataru not to take the risk, but he knew his brother well enough to know the futility of such an action. "And if you don't react well to Looking after not doing so for years?"

"I'm actually not worried."

* * *

Wataru and Kohaku continued talking for a little while longer, though their tone was much more relaxed now as the older sibling began catching Wataru up on what the other Enlightened siblings had been accomplishing in the past few years. Yuichi and Shohei had moved off to the side and were beginning to do the same, though Yuichi didn't need much of an update since he had regular correspondence with his sister-in-law.

It didn't take much for Yuichi to figure that there was something serious his brother wanted to say to him and he was working around to it.

There wasn't much thought needed to figure out what the topic most likely was either.

"You should take some time and visit Takako. She is quite insistent that you have forgotten all about her since you haven't visited," Shohei continued, allowing his daughter to provide an adequate distraction for the time being. "As far along as you are in your training, you should be allowed to leave for a few weeks and not fall behind."

"I was waiting for the time where I had completed my training and was taking missions as a Guardian to visit. I told your wife to pass that along to Takako, but I guess she took it as well as could be expected from a five year old," Yuichi responded, allowing his brother to set the pace until he said something objectionable. Besides, he did feel bad about how long he had stayed away from his niece, whom he cared about deeply.

"If you were to visit, Wataru would have to accompany you." _There it is…_ Instead of a verbal response, Yuichi just raised an inquiring eyebrow and waited for Shohei to take this conversation wherever he chose to go with it. Realizing that Yuichi was making him carry on the subject, Shohei sighed deeply. Oh well, it had to be discussed right away.

"I have known that boy since he was born and I care about him just as I care about you. I just want some assurance that this isn't some juvenile decision that you will both come to regret."

Yuichi actually scoffed at that. "When have you ever known me to do anything I haven't carefully considered?" Shohei's silence was answer enough so he continued. "When have I ever treated Bonding as anything other than a matter of greatest severity?" Another heavy sigh was his response this time. "And since I'm fully aware that Wataru can seem to be impulsive, but his quick decisions shouldn't be mistaken for carelessness."

"I understand that he has grown over the time I haven't seen him, but he – and Enlightened – still created a Bond with you – an Empowered. It was an irresponsible choice he should have waited to speak with one of his siblings about. How did he even know how to do it?" As far as Shohei knew, the children of Kalen Fujii weren't taught how to manipulate cores in the manner required to Bond them until they turned 18: it was a great responsibility to be able to control something so vital to life.

Yuichi shrugged, figuring it wouldn't hurt to tell Shohei after the fact. "He just figured it out as he did it. I think he used his father's stories of how he and his wife had Bonded to help guide him."

That was…amazing talent. While Core Manipulation was a basic ability for Enlightened – according to Kalen – it was still supposed to be among the more complex because every core was different and it supposedly took hundreds of hours of practice before one could operate with any level of precision.

And Bonding cores directly was among the more precise tasks.

Shohei had to admit – based on the exchange between the Fujii siblings up to this point – Wataru seemed more capable of what Yuichi was implying than he had been when he left the Central Diamond Region. Sure, he was still as stubborn as Shohei remembered him, but there was certainly an air of maturity to him. Despite that, he couldn't shake the feeling that the two were making a mistake.

He could only hope that it was his overprotective nature coming through.

Shohei looked back to his brother, who was watching him carefully and he got the feeling Yuichi just might know better than he did about what was happening.

Not that he'd ever admit that aloud.

And that didn't actually change that Shohei didn't want the two of them to remain Bonded if it meant they would be in danger. He didn't have the authority to suggest as much to Wataru – as the teen had pointed out earlier when he pulled rank – and he doubted anything would come of trying to talk Kohaku into making it for him. The prince's decision to improve the strength of their connection was enough of an indication that he was willing to accept his brother's choice. He could attempt to appeal to Wataru's other siblings to help him in this, but they all held great respect for each other – especially Kohaku as the oldest – and they even if they disagreed they would probably allow Wataru's decision to hold. Furthermore, the ability to Bond came from the Enlightened and so it held a different level of understanding and meaning for them.

"This is the only time I will defend my relationship and Bond with Wataru to you. Don't bring it up again or you can expect not to talk to me as a brother ever again." Yuichi's expression told Shohei how serious he was in that declaration to the point that he didn't feel like testing it in the least. He didn't usually allow his little brother to order him around like this, but then again Yuichi had never been so adamant in defending something as he was of this relationship.

Wataru was more important to Yuichi than his natural family and he was ready to prove it to Shohei if necessary.

* * *

And there you have it. The last part between Yuichi and Shohei was added later as I realized that I needed to point out Shohei's reaction to the Bond sooner rather than the quite a bit later that I had it. I tried to keep it kind of brief while still getting in what I needed to while remaining true to character. So what if it made the already reasonably long chapter even longer. Who's complaining?

Minor detail, I misread my notes for the story and called Kohaku by the wrong name and didn't realize until I was editing it. So if you see any missed "Rohn"s where there's supposed to be a "Keiran" that's my bad because I really just wanted to get this chapter up and I'll look again later.

As usual, please review and let me know what you think. This chapter is kind of the start for the real story to begin and I look forward to getting the next few chapters up.

See you next time.

Kira Dattei


	6. Chapter 5: Anchor Point

Story: The Five Regions  
Author: Kira Dattei  
Chapter: 5/15ish  
Word Count: 4,663  
Rating: T  
A/N: Shorter chapter this time around, but important stuff happening here.  
Thank you to hitomi65 and Amy Levi for your reviews. I really appreciate the feedback and am glad to see continued interest in the story.  
Gonna keep it short here. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 5: Anchor Point

A few hours after meeting with Kohaku, Wataru collapsed into his bed. Once they had finished talking with Shohei and Kohaku, Yuichi still went through the Defender evaluation for the sake of not raising suspicion among other trainees – his Bond with Wataru deemed the action and status itself moot. Any inquiry as to them disappearing when they did was chalked up to Shohei wanting to catch up with his brother while he had the opportunity and Wataru accompanied him as Yuichi's Bonded. It worked well enough and Wataru's identity remained safe.

Didn't mean the sudden rush of attention coupled with the meeting with his brother hadn't completely exhausted him.

Yuichi wasn't much better off, though he maintained a level of posture about handling his exhaustion even out of public view. He picked up Wataru's cloak from where the teen had dropped it on the floor and hung it up. He then removed his own jacket and shoes and put them where they belonged next to the door. Once order was restored to the room – and Wataru seemed more relaxed mentally and physically – Yuichi moved toward the bed and sat beside his partner.

Wataru's black eyes opened slightly, then he shifted to give Yuichi more room to lie down beside him, which he did quickly and they settled into a comfortable silence. Wataru remained on his stomach with his arms folded underneath his head and Yuichi lay on his side with his arm across Wataru's lower back. He leaned forward to place a kiss on Wataru's shoulder, getting black eyes to open again and look at him.

"That all really just happened, right?" Wataru's muffled whisper was almost beyond understanding.

"Which part are you having difficulty with?" Yuichi responded, taking on the quiet tone to match his partner's. Wataru gave him an incredulous look.

"There's a part of today you aren't still processing?" The question was more of a formality since he could tell from their Bond that Yuichi's mind was as active as his own. "How was it to see your brother?"

Yuichi shrugged one shoulder. "It was certainly easier than you seeing yours." Wataru let out a soft chuckle at the true statement. "I don't have the bad parting to make it difficult and I knew I'd be seeing him today."

"Then why are you so defensive about the topic?" Yuichi was about to dispute the comment but then he remembered on a conscious level that his partner was Enlightened and Bonded to him. Wataru may not read minds, but he had learned how to use other methods of observation and instinct to be as close to the capability as was possible. In the time Yuichi had been learning about what Wataru was capable of, he still couldn't say for sure where the teen's limits were.

And as his partner, Wataru deserved an answer.

"My brother and I have trouble seeing eye-to-eye. He's very controlling – as I'm sure you're aware – and I don't like being told what to do."

"As I'm also very aware," Wataru couldn't resist clarifying.

"He was the one who pressed for me to go for Guardian training so I would be eligible to be selected as a Defender." Wataru gave him a confused look that took him a few seconds to figure out. "Not that I wouldn't have gone for Guardian, but I have no interest in moving past that. I just wanted to finish my training and work the border guard of the Emerald Region where I was raised."

"You only cared about protecting your home." The use of the past tense was on purpose as Wataru knew that Yuichi's priorities had changed since he'd Bonded with him. Yuichi nodded slightly then pressed another kiss to Wataru's shoulder. "So Shohei probably wasn't too thrilled with your choice to stay a Guardian."

"What gave that away?" he responded with a grin.

"Being told to complete the evaluation today helped."

"It was the only thing he could do. They can evaluate me all they want but it means nothing if I don't desire the position."

"I swear, he's forgetting that you wouldn't be accepted since you don't genuinely care about protecting my family, which is sad because he made that rule. And now your evaluation won't even mean anything, being Bonded to me and all." Wataru shifted so that he was lying on his side facing Yuichi. "Can you imagine if we'd met as Prince and Defender?"

The question sparked an image in Yuichi's mind of meeting some well-dressed, powerful being that Aran Nobunaga represented. He wouldn't have allowed himself to see the smooth sun-kissed skin, thin figure, silky ink colored hair, or the expressive beautiful black eyes – everything that made Wataru physically beautiful. Furthermore, he wouldn't have let himself see the layers of personality – the genuine care he had for others, the well-concealed intelligence of all he was responsible for, the defensive nature that repressed the confident strength he was capable of showing when he had to – that he had managed to strip away but love each one for what they meant to Wataru. Wait…Wataru…

"I never would have actually met you, would I?" There was a flash of confusion in Wataru's eyes. "I mean, would I even know your name? Would I know anything besides Prince Aran Nobunaga?"

"Of course not. Only Shohei as Captain of the Defenders and the one directly in charge of my personal guard knew my real name."

"I've wondered since you told me about your identities what I would see looking at Aran."

While it wasn't uncommon for their conversations to go in every direction imaginable – the Enlightened had an admittedly short attention span – Wataru wasn't expecting the conversation to head in the direction it had taken. He had asked the question in jest and it seemed like Yuichi had realized something that he had obviously overlooked. He may have just stumbled upon an opportunity to test his curiosity over the new capabilities of their Bond.

Instead of guessing as to what his answer would be, he decided to simply find out for sure. His eyes slid closed and he focused on a power he hadn't called on in a long time. "I am the fourth son of King Nobunaga, Prince Aran Nobunaga of the Five Regions." Yuichi had never heard that tone from Wataru: it was almost cold in its authority and much deeper than he knew the voice to be.

The voice was just the start of the disappearance of what he knew Wataru to be. Black hair faded until it settled at a pale grey shade – an indicator of great power among the Regions – and grew out so that it flowed down to just below his shoulders. Soft features hardened and became more angular and strong. His figure filled out as well to resemble a body built for physical power as opposed to the lithe one built to handle Enlightened power. Finally, his eyes opened and instead of the ebony shade he was used to, jade green eyes met his. It took only a brief observation to remember that he'd seen that same shade of green eyes any time Wataru's powers would flare from emotions or he would use a great amount of power. It must be an Enlightened thing. The features may have been different, but the guarded expression, which currently displayed quite a bit of hesitation, was recognizable to Yuichi's experienced observation. He wasn't sure what the hesitation was for though.

"Nice to meet you, Your Highness," Yuichi jested. "Well, you certainly look the part." The hesitation and nerves receded a little and Yuichi realized Wataru had been apprehensive of how accepting he would be of the different appearance. Wataru really could be stupid at times: like how he looked would change how he cared about him. "I think I've seen enough, now how do I get my partner back?"

"I want you to try something."

It wasn't the first time Wataru had experimented with how his power as an Enlightened influenced Yuichi's capabilities as an Empowered. So far results had varied. "Just tell me what you want me to do."

"I want you to look at me and only think of how you see me now. Don't think of anything that is my real face. Once you have that as firmly in your mind as possible, say my name. Just don't let my real appearance bleed into your mind."

A few weeks ago, that request would have thrown Yuichi off, but all the training they'd done with each other to strengthen their Bond had redefined his limitations and beliefs about what he was capable of. While the request was still on the difficult side, he still reigned in his concentration and committed to the directions given to him by Wataru. He drew in a deep breath and took in all he could about Aran's appearance and systematically switched out these details with the image of his partner in his mind. It was definitely the most difficult thing he'd ever done. After all, Wataru was always on his mind and around him and every time he thought in any degree of his partner his face would pop into his mind. Once that happened, he would have to start the process all over again.

As long as he remained calm and kept frustration from affecting his progress, he knew he would manage the task eventually.

Yuichi lost count of how many times he had to start over or how long he had been at the task, but finally something clicked in his mind and he was able to keep the image of Aran layered over his thoughts of Wataru's face. He was able to look at Aran and not automatically think of Wataru. His partner recognized his accomplishment and nodded his approval of Yuichi completing what was undoubtedly the hardest part of the process.

Yuichi shifted so that he was resting his weight on his elbow and wasted no time in putting his hard work to the test of whatever it was Wataru wanted to test. "Wataru Fujii," he spoke the name smoothly, making sure to keep the words passive and without connection to the person he loved.

He didn't expect Wataru to suddenly grasp in head in obvious discomfort. He reached out and touched Wataru's shoulder, trying to get his attention back on him. Wataru didn't respond though, only curling further in on himself, trying to relieve some of the pressure he was suddenly experiencing. It took a few seconds for whatever it was to pass and Wataru relaxed enough to release the grip on his head. Yuichi watched as his partner's features seemed to shift between the two identities until they finally settled on familiar soft tones and black eyes made contact with his.

"What was that?" Yuichi asked, placing his hand on Wataru's cheek, his voice a mixture of concern and confusion. Wataru turned into the touch and pressed his lips into a brief kiss on Yuichi's palm to try and pacify some of his partner's anxiety.

"That wasn't what I expected would happen," Wataru muttered with a slight chuckle, though it was obvious that he was still pulling himself back together after whatever it was that had affected him.

"Just what were you expecting?"

"I figured you would be able to see through the Identity. You went a few steps further and actually destroyed it." He gave a heavy sigh. "That's never happened to me before. It really hurt!" Now that the exclamation was out of his system, Wataru seemed to relax again and he pulled a contemplative expression. "You think that's what it feels like to have your skin pulled off?"

"Graphic description," Yuichi mumbled while pulling a sour expression. He could always count on Wataru to call things bluntly, though this was pushing it. "Please tell me that's not something you think of often." Wataru had the presence of mind to look bashful as he shrugged, the mood clearly lightened.

"I don't claim responsibility for what my brain comes up with while I'm this tired. Anyway, there's two experiments taken care of."

"Two? What was the other one/"

"Whether you'd actually see me as Aran through our Bond. I figured it'd be better to test that in a controlled environment rather than you suddenly losing me in a crowd because I switched faces on you."

"It's the face of a Prince, that's for sure. You looked the part of a warrior." He allowed a long pause, then added on as Wataru was about to speak. "It was strange, knowing that a softy like you was really behind that face." Wataru's response was the closest to a pout Yuichi had seen from his partner.

"That's just unnecessary."

Yuichi smiled and leaned in to give Wataru a real kiss, the feeling of rightness filling both teens as their bodies moved closer together naturally. Though all they had done physically was kiss and embrace, there was already a level of familiarity between them when they did so. Falling back on that familiar feeling helped mitigate some of the stress that had built up from the day. However many ways they had been told that their Bond shouldn't have happened, they knew how much they belonged together because of the way their minds just seemed to fall into sync when they were so intimately connected as they were now. They couldn't help but realize that part of this awareness came from the new level of their Bond developing a strong foundation that was guided by strong emotions faster than before. Besides that, they both knew they had already had a strangely strong connection to the other even before there had been a connection.

_Nothing will take him away from me…_

The words echoed through both of their minds and they pulled apart as they realized they had bother heard the statement as an echo of two voices speaking at the same time. They'd actually heard the other without speaking. Even now with less of a physical connection, there were whispers of the other's voice in their mind.

Realizing what had just developed between them, Yuichi was quite baffled.

"I thought Telepathy was extinct. There hasn't been anybody with the ability since long before the war between Gifted and Empowered started centuries ago," Yuichi whispered aloud, finding some sort of calmness with the multitude of topics echoing through both of their minds in focusing on speaking and listening.

"It's not a common ability, even among my kind. My parents managed to develop a weak form of Telepathy just before they came to the Regions. Even that was developed over decades of training they couldn't get past needing to be physically in contact with each other."

"And we accomplished that in a few weeks without even trying. Does that seem suspicious to you as well?"

"It might be the Soul Protector kicking in. We have an initially strong Bond and we have developed a strong foundation for it to build on. Telepathy must be an important aspect of our Bond." There was a brief silence before Wataru grinned widely. "Cool," he finished simply.

Yuichi rolled his eyes at the slang – Wataru had spent too much time around Nomads and their relaxed vocabulary emerged regularly – and pulled away slightly to lay on his side again instead of most of his weight being on the smaller teen as it had when they had shifted position. The mention of their new level of connection reminded him of Wataru's final promise to Kohaku. He figured they had messed around enough and it was time to get their responsibility out of the way.

"To completely change the subject, shall we get your Looking out of the way?" Again, Wataru's mind and body tensed at the prospect of tapping into abilities long dormant that he'd never had the best control over. He'd shown great confidence in front of his brother, but he couldn't do the same when it was Yuichi looking at him solemnly. It didn't help that Yuichi obviously didn't agree with Wataru's decision in the first place. If he'd supported the decision, Wataru felt he could have faced it better. But he was obligated now; there was no way he'd tell Kohaku he didn't do it because he chickened out.

"What do you need me to do?" Wataru wasn't sure what to tell Yuichi. Looking at time had never been something he'd managed to completely figure out and he wasn't convinced his new Bond would make any difference. Aware of the fear in his partner and his intent to try and hide it away, Yuichi spoke in a soothing manner. "Hey, you aren't alone in this anymore. I see your fear, Wataru, and I will be here to get you past it. But I can't do anything until you let me in enough to do so."

Wataru closed his eyes, hoping to block out the truth of Yuichi's declaration. Of course he trusted the other teen, but that wasn't the hard part. He was fighting years of ensuring his safety by closing himself away from everyone. Add onto that his fiercely independent nature and it just defied every corner of his personality to let go and rely on Yuichi.

Going on instinct, Yuichi shifted his position, moving closer to Wataru and pressing into him so that he laid on his back with his partner hovering over him.

"You should Look now," Yuichi pressed, pulling Wataru's attention out of his mind and, in doing so, reminding him that he didn't do so well when he ignored his intuition and thought things through. "I bet I'll make a useful anchoring point for you to keep grounded by." It was a term Wataru used often when they were working together and the familiarity of it urged Wataru into taking it seriously.

As if to punctuate the point, Yuichi pressed his lips to Wataru's in a brief kiss and with that Wataru suddenly felt his anxiety fade away and he was ready to give it a try. He'd analyze that later.

With his eyes already closed, he simply turned his attention to tapping into the dormant power that allowed him to see past what was right in front of him. The power flared immediately and he felt his awareness of his surroundings slip away. His eyes opened slowly and emerald green irises met Yuichi's, but it was obvious they weren't actually seeing the other teen.

Wataru gasped as he was immediately aware of figures around him that he wasn't familiar with. He was in danger – he couldn't say how he was so sure, but it was knowledge that just seeped into his awareness while Looking at time. He had figured out how to do that without Looking. The disconnected thought helped him remember that he wasn't actually in danger and he was able to reign in his rampant emotions and he strained to focus on the vision. Once his breathing had slowed down again he was able to recognize that the danger he was seeing was years away from him. The fact helped him to pull his focus even closer into himself. The closer to his physical presence he focused on, the closer in time he witnessed.

That trick had taken him seven months and twelve comas to figure out when he had first started learning this ability when he turned nine.

His vision shuddered as he worked to control when he was Looking at. The last few years that he had gone without utilizing the power made it more difficult to keep himself from slightly panicking when he faltered ever so slightly in the task. Despite the complications he managed to maintain his containment until he was conscious of Yuichi's breath on his face and his warmth seeping into his body. He couldn't see him, but it seemed Yuichi had been correct: he was an anchor. The anchor of his partner solidified his control as well as his confidence in it and he no longer struggled with the power. He took a second to collect his mind and remind himself to keep all the images in his peripheral as it was focusing on details that would overwhelm him the fastest. Getting details of one image opened him up to the desire to know more and he would get pulled into an array of choices and what each one would mean. He couldn't let that happen.

With his control firmly in place, he allowed his attention to spread beyond Yuichi. He allowed the idea of returning to the Central Diamond Region to influence his vision. With that guide, his sight flashed through countless images and feelings. He didn't Look too far, not wanting to risk taking in too much information and risking a coma. After a few seconds and nothing grabbing his attention, he pulled back until he was once again aware of Yuichi's breath and took some time to reflect on what he'd picked up. He estimated that he'd seen at least a few years into the future and it seemed that life had continued without much significance to him personally. Sure, plenty happened around him and it was obvious that the Five Regions didn't react negatively and fall into a warring state with his return. It just seemed like something important should occur in the time he witnessed, but it just ambled on.

There was one possibility down, as Wataru readied himself for another Look. The next attempt would be influenced by the prospect of him remaining at the training facility.

He was immediately overcome by an overall sensation of danger. This caught him by surprise as he hadn't even expanded his vision. This was similar to when he had been trying to find the solution to the war flaring back up when he'd arrived at the action of disappearing, though the impact of this decision somehow dwarfed that one. He kept that in mind as he allowed his awareness to spread out slowly and he was bombarded with a multitude of images and emotions. It was difficult to remain calm – Yuichi's presence once again kept him grounded – as he realized this course of action would mean he would be putting himself in more danger than he'd been in at any other point in his lifetime. Suppressing the urge to pull away from the danger, he instead decided to look further ahead. The assault of images and feelings continued – the clarity of each one dimming as more choices affected outcomes – and he felt the first indication of being overwhelmed.

He ignored the warning and pushed ahead. Something about his choice held an important outcome; he just had to find it. He had to know if it was worth obvious sacrifices he would have to make.

_There it is!_ It was years away and there was so much pain to get there, but it was worth it. People would get hurt – ones he knew and cared about. There would be death because of this choice and the ones that followed and he would downright suffer – Yuichi would as well being Bonded to him – but it would be worth it. Of course there was the possibility of the choices he those around him making this outcome less likely, but it was rare for there to be such a strong likelihood of this future being what occurred. It was clear in a sea of blurry possibilities.

He was so caught up in finding what he was looking for that he almost missed the fact that he hadn't pulled away from the vision. He had begun focusing on random images without the conscious reminder of the danger in doing so and he allowed himself to use cussing out human curiosity to help pull him away from the act. He really didn't want to deal with the consequences of the coma and uncontrollable power fluctuation variety. Luckily he had been distracted enough by his discovery that he didn't actually remember any of the details he might have picked up on, the gap between the present and the time he was focusing also helping to keep the images mostly obscured.

He pulled his focus back and latched onto the part of him that felt Yuichi's body in contact with his own and closed his eyes. He gathered his bearings on his physical surroundings as he rebuilt his mental barriers around the ability to look through time.

When his jet black eyes opened again, the first thing he was aware of was exhaustion, closely followed by pain. His eyes burned and everything was blurred and discolored. It would take anywhere between a few minutes and the rest of the night for his vision to return to normal and a full day for the pain to fully dissipate. The physical exhaustion was a result of using so much power and should fade within a few hours as his reserves of power were restored. He did a quick assessment of his mind and body, searching for more dangerous side-effects, and after finding none he finally allowed himself to be aware of Yuichi still above him. From what he could tell, the older teen was in the same position as when he had started with one arm on either side of his head and his body stretched out along Wataru's.

"How long did that take?" was the first question he thought to ask. It wasn't usually a quick task to Look through time.

"About twenty minutes. Are you alright?" Yuichi had to put his concern to rest. Wataru obviously wasn't really looking at him and his breathing was rough and seemed to be causing him more trouble than it should.

"Just the usual temporary blindness and ache in every muscle imaginable. It'll pass by tomorrow."

Only slightly relieved to learn that they were short-term ailments, but still not happy that Wataru was experiencing them at all, Yuichi relaxed ever so slightly. "I take it this isn't a skill meant to be used on the fly in a high stakes situation," Yuichi offered a brief reprieve topic, deciding to give Wataru some recovery time before he asked about what he had found out.

"Not really, unless Looking alone was what saved me. I'd probably go into a coma for my trouble…" The last part was mumbled in frustration. It was obvious how deeply Wataru didn't like the ability and what it did to him. "Anyway, I didn't find any significant difference between staying and going back so I'll tell Kohaku that I'm going to stay. Being here is serving a purpose for me so I won't mess with that. Besides, being Aran means being responsible and having to watch what I say and do and that just isn't something I'm looking forward to going back to."

"I can't imagine why. You're just the embodiment of etiquette and formality." Wataru gave Yuichi a dirty look, or at least an amusing attempt since the gaze was focused on the ceiling over Yuichi's shoulder. The older teen shook his head and allowed his body to relax as he shifted to lie down completely beside Wataru and pulled the smaller body against him, feeling content that things wouldn't have to change for them for the time being.

As Yuichi relaxed beside him, Wataru tried to follow along but he couldn't let go of how easily he had withheld the truth of what he'd learned and based his decision on. He had planned to tell Yuichi exactly what he'd seen, but once he heard Yuichi's concerned voice ask him first and foremost about if he was okay, the lie had slipped out. It was obvious that his very protective partner would never support him choosing a path that would threaten him so severely.

He couldn't take the chance: he had to do what was best for the Five Regions, no matter what he had to risk.

* * *

And there you have chapter 5. The point of this chapter was to give some clarification of how Yuichi and Wataru work together as well as give some insight into how some of Wataru's powers work. It was an interesting balancing act of how to work Wataru's Precognition so that I didn't really give anything away as to what's going to happen in the story and hopefully it comes off to readers how I want it to. The next chapter will really get things moving though so look forward to that being posted soon.

As usual, any questions, comments or otherwise are welcome and encouraged. Please review!

See you next time,

Kira Dattei


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